Out Of Time
by Andie O'Neill
Summary: Jack’s life is on the line when he and Nathan are kidnapped by a scientist bent on creating a weapon more powerful than anything ever built… and Nathan’s going to help whether he wants to or not.
1. Chapter 1

Out of Time

By Andie O'Neill

Rating: T/ R

Genre: Romance, Angst, Alternate Universe, (slight) Action/Adventure

Pairing: Nathan/Jack

Warnings: Slash, (small hints) Sex, Violence, Language

Spoilers: Season Three

Summary: Jack's life is on the line when he and Nathan are kidnapped by a scientist bent on creating a weapon more powerful than anything ever built… and Nathan's going to help whether he wants to or not.

A/N: I was planning on writing another story when this idea kinda popped up and demanded my attention. Damn plot bunnies are taking over! :(

Disclaimer: You think I'd be writing fan fiction if I owned Eureka and it's characters? I think not! Don't own a thing.

* * *

Part One

He'd had headaches before, whether it be from concussions, hangovers, his teenage daughter, or simply the stress of the job… but nothing quite measured to the throbbing he felt as he finally reached consciousness. Jack Carter groaned in pain, his hands moving to rub his temples as he tried to massage the pain away, but it didn't even settle to a dull ache. He tried not to panic as he tried to focus his mind, trying to ignore the pain, though it was damn distracting. Jack searched through his memories, trying to retrace his steps to understand what the hell happened. Slowly he opened his eyes, only to close them once more as the light above him only worsened his headache. So he focused on his other senses. He felt concrete beneath him, his hand moving on the floor… perhaps tile. It was cold to the touch. He took in a deep breathe, but the air was odorless… purified like his bunker and GD… not stale, but nothing like the smell of the outdoors. The whole place was cold, and he resisted a shiver as he rolled over to his side. Everything was quiet except for the faint sound of another person's breathing.

Jack chanced opening his eyes once more, wincing as the light hit his eyes, but he ignored the pain, slowly pushing himself up as he looked around the room. It looked much like a room in his bunker, and he had a bad feeling he was underground. There were no windows and the door was metal… probably some insane alloy that he couldn't even pronounce. Finally his eyes rested on the body beside him, and his heart quickened as he realized it was Nathan Stark. "Stark!" he whispered, moving over to the other man, rolling him onto his back. He was breathing, but didn't seem to be conscious yet. "Stark!" he tried again. Jack swore under his breath. He never should have agreed to take Nathan with him on an investigation. Allison and Thorne had learned that some technology had gone missing during the last few weeks and had asked Carter to find out who was stealing from GD. In the end Jack had solved the mystery, but a little too late. One minute he and Stark had been breaking into the house of a scientist they believed was responsible and the next they'd had the barrel of a weapon pointed at them both. Before Jack could tell the man what a huge mistake he was making he'd felt a sharp needle pierce the back of his neck… then nothing at all as everything went black.

Carter was pulled from his thoughts as Stark groaned, his hands moving to his head just as Jack had when he'd first awoken. "What the hell…" Stark whispered.

"Welcome to the land of the living," said Jack as he watched the scientist wince in pain. At least he wasn't the only one with a gigantic migraine.

"Carter?" Stark's eyes remained closed, and Jack couldn't really blame him.

"Yeah, it's me, Stark. How you feeling?" he asked, despite knowing the answer.

"I feel like my brain has been cut into tiny pieces and then put back together again… by Fargo," Stark answered with his usual flare for drama.

Jack would have smiled if his head didn't hurt so damn much. "That good, eh? I think we were drugged."

"Ethan," Nathan whispered angrily, slowly pushing himself to sit up, cracking his eyes open for the first time. "Where are we?"

"I have absolutely no idea… looks like an underground bunker. Look familiar?"

Nathan looked around; his eyes squinted as he tried to ignore the pain as Jack had. "GD created at least three bunkers in Eureka that I know of… yours and two others that were abandoned. It's possible we're in one of those three, but I don't even know how long we've been drugged. We may not even be in Eureka anymore."

"That's a comforting thought," muttered Jack. As a US Marshall he'd seen and been through many different situations, but he'd never actually been kidnapped before. Jack tried to remember more about what happened before he and Stark were drugged.

*~*

"_You've been stealing technology from GD for over a month… why Ethan?" Jack had asked, hands in the air as he stared at the man holding a gun to his face._

_Doctor Forrester's finger tightened just a bit on the trigger and Jack held his breath. "She wouldn't even go over my proposal. We claim to be scientists, but what good is it to __**be**__ a scientist if we're restrained from making our dreams a reality! It doesn't matter now. Not even Global Dynamics can stop me!" Ethan shouted._

"_Stop you from what, Ethan?" questioned Stark as he stood beside Jack, his voice calm despite their situation._

_Ethan turned to look at Stark. "You're a brilliant man, Nathan Stark… which is exactly why I will let you both live… for now."_

*~*

Jack frowned, he remembered nothing after that. Ethan lowered the gun… and then… the sharp prick of a needle and nothing else. "We're screwed aren't we?" he asked Stark.

Nathan sighed. "Lupo and the others will figure out that we're missing eventually… if they haven't figured it out already."

"And if they can't?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

Stark nodded, clearing his throat. "Then yes… we'd officially be screwed."

Jack would have smiled if it wasn't for the sinking feeling in his gut.

* * *

"We've tried the radios, searched for them both everywhere… the last place they were seen is going into Doctor Ethan Forrester's house. Carter was telling me they'd found evidence linking Doctor Forrester to the thefts at Global Dynamics. He and Doctor Stark wanted to bring him in for questioning," said Lupo as she stood in Thorne's office.

"Did you search Forrester's house?" asked Allison, just as worried as Jo felt. Jo knew how important both Carter and Stark were to Doctor Blake. Although she'd declined Doctor Stark's proposal they'd managed to somehow salvage their relationship. Jo had figured she'd eventually begin a relationship with Carter, but the Sheriff hadn't mentioned or been seen with Allison on a date… not even a warm handshake. Lupo wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but she'd been doing her best to stay out of it. If Carter didn't want to step up to the plate with Stark officially taken out of the game… that was his decision… unless of course there was another reason.

"Yeah… it was clean. No signs of struggle or anything else for that matter. All that was left was a computer and furniture. It's like Forrester just disappeared along with Carter and Doctor Stark. I don't like it… something big's going on here," answered Jo.

"You said he left his computer?" Henry questioned.

"Oh come on Henry, you really think if Forrester was trying to hide something that he wouldn't make sure that computer was wiped clean first… if it even had any secret files in the first place," said Doctor Blake, folding her arms as she leaned against the wall. Thorne simply watched their interactions, remaining quiet.

"More than likely he gave the computer a virus, but there may be a chance I can find a few files. Data like that is never completely erased from a hard drive… hell, you could burn the damn thing and there are still ways of retrieving lost information. It's worth a shot," said Henry, looking quite eager to help Lupo find their missing men.

"Deputy Lupo… I want you to have Doctor Forrester's computer sent to Doctor Deacon's lab for analysis. In the meantime, I want that house searched from top to bottom… see if we can't find something you may have missed before. Also Doctor Forrester has a lab at GD… that too needs to be searched," Thorne finally spoke.

Lupo nodded with a relieved smile. "Thank you… we'll get right on it." Lupo rushed out of Thorne's lab while Henry followed her. She could only hope they'd find something worth while… because she had a bad feeling Carter and Stark were in trouble. She wasn't about to let them both down.

* * *

Allison stayed behind, turning to look at Thorne. "Someone needs to tell Zoe what's happened," she reminded the director, her voice softening. As a mother herself she hated the idea of Zoe being burdened with the possibility that her father was in danger, but she needed to know.

Thorne nodded. "I'll leave that in your capable hands, Doctor Blake. Keep me apprised of the investigation… I don't plan on giving up until there's no other options left."

"Thank you," she said, trying to keep under control despite the worry twisting in her gut. Her relationship with Nathan was finally starting to get back on track… and now it was possible he was missing. Allison wasn't sure what to think… how to feel. Carter and Nathan were just gone… without a trace and nothing like that had ever happened in Eureka before… and when it did… the search often ended with a dead body. Allison quickly left Thorne's office, closing her eyes as she tried to calm her racing heart. They didn't know anything yet… she needed to remain calm. They'd find Carter and Nathan… one way or another.

* * *

"Carter… what are you doing?" Nathan asked, with long- suffering look.

Jack just glared at him, continuing his search of the room for some kind of weakness. "We found a way out of my bunker when S.A.R.A.H. went psycho, maybe we can do the same here. There's got to be some kind of back door in the system… some secret compartment we can find so you can do your science thing and get us out of here."

Stark rolled his eyes. "My 'science thing'…" he muttered.

Jack hated being mocked… especially by Stark. With a huff he turned around to look at the scientist sitting quietly on the large cot. "Yes! Your 'science thing!' You know, cracking computer codes, shorting out hard drives… the usual! At least I'm doing something to get us out of here… instead of lounging about waiting for something to happen! Has it escaped your notice that technically we've been kidnapped Stark?! As in… taken against our will! How can you sit there calmly when we're stuck in a cell together with no idea where we are or whether we're even in Eureka anymore?!"

Stark blinked, not even affected by the outburst. "Carter… eventually Forrester will come in here and tell us why we've been taken. We don't even know anything yet, and trying to find secret compartments and back doors that don't exist isn't going to do anything but waste our time and energy."

Jack sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to gain back control. Yelling at Stark wasn't helping anything… even if it did make him feel better occasionally. The Sheriff gave up his search and walked over to Stark, dropping down on the cot next to him. "So how do we pass the time exactly? Somehow I have a feeling you didn't hide a deck of cards in that two thousand dollar suit jacket of yours."

Nathan smiled in amusement. "That would be in my three thousand dollar suit jacket I'm afraid," he retorted.

Carter shook his head. "Truth or dare?"

"Don't you think we're a little more evolved than to play a silly child's game… or have I over-estimated you again?" Stark said with his usual sharp wit.

Jack groaned, his head falling back against the wall with a resounding thud. "This is going to be a _long_ day."

* * *

Nathan wasn't sure how much time had gone by when the door to their cell finally opened. Carter had fallen asleep, while Nathan stood nearby trying to figure out what Forrester might have planned for them. It looked like he was finally going to find out. Stark walked over to Carter, nudging him awake as a tall, and extremely fit young man opened the door wide to let Doctor Forrester through. Three other men, similarly well muscled walked inside the cell, crowding it just a bit. Nathan stood tall, head held high as he eye'd the other scientist. "Doctor Forrester," he greeted. Carter stood up slowly beside him, adopting Nathan's stance.

"Doctor Nathan Stark… one of the greatest minds in Eureka… Nobel Prize winner… having over a dozen degrees and PhDs. Your mother must be extremely proud," the scientist sneered.

Stark refused to be bated. His mother had died years ago, something Nathan knew Forrester was well aware of considering how long the man had lived in Eureka. "I'm sure she would have been."

Jack glanced at Nathan with a frown, obviously picking up on his wording before he looked back at Forrester. Doctor Forrester was a tall, well built man. His salt and pepper hair made him look mature rather than simply older. His dark green eyes gave him a strange appeal, similar to the color of plush green grass. He was well chiseled, fairly attractive, but his personality more than made up for his handsome features. Nathan had known him for years, since the man was first hired at GD and never liked the man from the very beginning. It wasn't his pride… that was a normal trait for scientists with IQ's higher than their credit scores. Forrester was a brilliant man, but his lack of moral integrity bothered Stark, which was saying a lot as in the past Nathan had been forced to sacrifice many of his morals to keep GD running. The difference was Nathan took no pride in those sacrifices. Unfortunately, Forrester had a talent when it came to producing results… meaning GD hadn't been able to afford to lose the man. Even the DOD seemed to love him.

Forrester cocked his head to the side, regarding Nathan with a measure of disgust as he took a few steps closer to the man. "If I had a choice in the matter you wouldn't be here, Stark, but unfortunately that brain of yours is just _too_ important for me to let such an opportunity fly by."

"If it's him you want… then why am I here?" Carter asked, barely filtering his anger from showing through.

Forrester turned away from Nathan to look at the Sheriff, suddenly smiling. "What? And leave you to lead the investigation that would eventually lead to my capture? Please Sheriff Carter, I am well aware of your unique problem solving skills. While many in Eureka may not see you as being very formidable, I know better. You're stupidity act won't work with me. You're much smarter than you look."

Jack smiled, folding his arms while Stark rolled his eyes. "Oh believe me, it's not an act," he assured Forrester.

Carter glared at Nathan. "And how would you know? You've seen me in action… not bad for 111…. I was a US Marshall, you know."

Stark snorted, amused at the very idea of Sheriff Carter possessing more than half a brain. Nathan had worked with the Sheriff often enough to know that he had no idea what he was doing most of the time. He was extremely lucky… nothing more. Although he did have a gift when it came to solving Eureka's many catastrophe's it wasn't as if he solved each one alone. He leaned heavily on his, and Henry's own skills to put things right. It was a team effort.

"Oh come now, Stark, even you must admit the Sheriff does extremely well for a man with the mental capacity of a child," Forrester pushed, turning to look at Stark.

Nathan almost laughed at the annoyed look Carter shot him. "Hey! I don't mind Stark's smart remarks because in the end I know he only does it because he's an insecure, prick, but you don't get that leeway," the Sheriff grumbled. Stark raised an eyebrow at his words.

"Insecure prick?" he questioned.

Carter shrugged.

Forrester shook his head. "As entertaining as this little back and forth is, I didn't come here for that," the scientist spoke as more men opened the door and filed in. Two stood behind Stark, immediately grabbing him. Nathan struggled immediately, his stomach in knots, his gut telling him something very bad was about to happen. He watched as two other burly men grabbed the Sheriff. Stark's eyes widened as he saw Forrester pull out a syringe from his lab coat pocket.

"Let us go, Forrester!" Nathan shouted, fighting hard against the men who only tightened their hold on him.

Forrester laughed, though clearly not amused. "I don't really think you're in the position to make demands, Doctor Stark. So how about I tell you how things are going to go. You are going to help me with a little project I've been working on… and in return I will set you both free unharmed."

"Oh please, like we'd ever believe that load of horse manure!" muttered Carter. Nathan was forced to agree with the Sheriff's sentiments.

Forrester's eyes flashed in anger. "You will help me, Doctor Stark, whether you want to or not!"

Nathan smiled, hardening his gaze, determined to show no fear. "I'd rather die," he growled.

Forrester didn't seemed the least bit phased by his answer. "That's where you're wrong, Doctor Stark. You see, despite your obvious issues with the Sheriff… I know you're not a killer, Nathan. You value life… including your prized Sheriff's." Nathan's eyes widened his a bit when he saw Forrester walk toward Carter, and sudden the Sheriff was fighting to be freed, panicked as he realized Forrester's intent.

"Forrester! Stop this now!" Nathan shouted, his heart beating a mile a minute as he watched the syringe moving towards Carter.

"It's too late for that, Nathan Stark. I see only one way that you will ever comply," he told Stark calmly before jabbing the needle into Jack's neck. Carter winced, barely biting back a shout as whatever was in the syringe was injected into the Sheriff.

"What did you do, Forrester?!" Nathan shouted, his eyes focusing on Carter's soft baby blue's filled with fear. "What did you do?!" he demanded an answer, struggling against the men holding him back.

Forrester pulled out the needle and turned to look at Nathan. "It's my own personal concoction… and only I have the antidote. In five days Sheriff Carter will be dead… unless you help me."

Stark growled at the scientist, barely restrained as his hands tightened into fists that ached to connect with Forrester's face.

"I'll leave you alone to take some time to think it over. Just don't take to long… Carter's life depends on whatever you decide," Forrester told him, leaving the room.

Nathan and Carter were thrown to the floor hard, the breath knocked out of them as the men who'd held them followed Forrester out of the cell. Stark scrambled to Jack's side as he lay on the floor, sweat dripping down his face as he groaned in pain. "Carter! Carter?!"

Jack swallowed hard, forcing his eyes open as he looked up at Nathan for one brief moment. "Nathan?" he whispered weakly. "I don't feel so good," he told him before his eyes closed once more and he fell unconscious.

"Carter!"

To Be Continued.


	2. Chapter 2

Out of Time

By Andie O'Neill

Rating: T/ R

Genre: Romance, Angst, Alternate Universe, (slight) Action/Adventure

Pairing: Nathan/Jack, Lucas/Zoe, Zane/Jo, (Mentions of Nathan/Allison)

Warnings: Slash, (small hints) Sex, Violence, Language

Spoilers: Season Three

Summary: Jack's life is on the line when he and Nathan are kidnapped by a scientist bent on creating a weapon more powerful than anything ever built… and Nathan's going to help whether he wants to or not.

A/N: I'm gonna try my best to at least post a chapter twice a week, maybe more if I have time. Right now I'm off work so it'll be easier, but we'll see if that changes when I have to go back…. Thanks for all the reviews so far, I've really enjoyed reading them!

Disclaimer: You think I'd be writing fan fiction if I owned Eureka and it's characters? I think not! Don't own a thing.

* * *

Part Two

It wasn't the first time she'd ever been called out of class. Zoe Carter's father had always been involved in dangerous work whether it was during his time as a US Marshall or during his time as Sheriff in Eureka. He was good at getting himself into trouble. Zoe knew she should be used to it all… to the feelings of fear that would twist in her gut, to the panic that would make her heart beat just a little bit faster, and to the moments time stood still as she saw her teacher's pity and worry that said what words never could. Zoe glanced back at her boyfriend Lucas, who gave her his best reassuring smile, then turned around and left the class to see Allison leaning against the wall, arms folded with a far off look in her eyes. "What's happened?" she asked her voice just a bit shaky. She did her best to put up a brave front, but it got harder and harder the more she realized the risks her father took each day.

Allison looked up, startled, and again Zoe saw the worry and pity and held her breath, preparing for whatever news Allison Blake had to give. The older woman frowned, resting a hand on Zoe's shoulder. "You're father and Doctor Stark have gone missing… we're doing everything we can to find them both, but we don't have much to go on yet."

Zoe liked it when people told her out right what was happening, but she couldn't help longing for the days when she was little and her mother would shield her from such news. Zoe swallowed hard, not sure exactly how to take the news. "Is he in trouble?"

"We don't know… right now we don't know much of anything. He was involved in an investigation and it's possible the man he suspected was responsible kidnapped them both, but we can't be sure of what happened just yet. That's only one theory. Deputy Lupo is doing everything she can to find us some answers."

Zoe knew Jo wouldn't stop until she'd found her man. Jo Lupo was a driven woman… it was one of the things Zoe liked best about her, and she couldn't help feeling just a little bit better that Jo was on top of things. On the other hand it was hard to ignore the sinking feeling that told her something was very, very wrong. Allison pulled her into a strong embrace, and for once Zoe didn't resist, closing her eyes tight. She was tough. She'd been through this before. She wasn't going to cry. She was better than that. Her hand gripped Allison's blouse so tight her knuckles went white, but she didn't cry. She was stronger than that.

* * *

Jack took in a deep breathe, his eyes opening slowly, a feeling of déjà vu filling him as he winced when the light hit his eyes. "Carter?!" His mouth was dry… beyond dry.

"How long was I out?" he asked weakly, surprised when he didn't feel the hard floor he'd been thrown to when Forrester and his men left the cell. When he looked around he saw he'd been moved to the cot, most likely by Stark.

Nathan pushed him back down when he tried to sit up. "We don't know what he injected in you, Carter. You need to stay still… whatever it was… it's in your blood stream," Nathan explained gently, surprising the Sheriff. He'd never heard the scientist sound so worried. "You were unconscious for at least a few hours."

Jack nodded; too tired to resist Stark's insistent hands… he wasn't sure he would have been able to sit up in his condition anyway. His head was pounding, and he felt drowsy and sluggish. His neck was sore from where the needle had punctured skin and his day went from really bad, to worse in seconds. "Oh god… I'm gonna die, aren't I?"

Stark shook his head, sitting on the cot beside Carter. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

Jack would have laughed at the irony if he'd had the energy. "Oh please, the guy put my life in your hands… the one guy in Eureka that hates me most. Does anyone else find that disturbingly ironic?"

Stark shrugged. "I don't hate you," he protested. When Jack gave him a pointed look the scientist rolled his eyes. "Not that much…" he added.

Carter smiled weakly. "Aw shucks… didn't know you cared," he muttered sarcastically.

Nathan smiled back. "This wouldn't be the first time I've saved your life, Carter. Believe me, if I wanted you dead, you'd have been gone a long time ago… I know people."

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better," Carter said, licking dry lips.

Stark laughed, patting Jack's shoulder gently. "Get some rest, Carter… you need to save your energy if you're going to fight through this."

Jack nodded weakly, his eyes slowly closing once more as he let himself drift back into a dreamless sleep. Sleep did sound pretty damn good right about now.

* * *

"I'd do it," Nathan whispered, staring into Forrester's dark green eyes, while Jack Carter slept peacefully on the cot. "Just tell me what we're working on and I'll help you with whatever you need."

Forrester smiled, and Stark's fists tightened almost to the point of drawing blood at the smug look on the other scientist's face. He was barely restraining the rage boiling inside him for what the man had done to Carter. He had no choice. If he wanted to save Carter's life, he'd have to play by Forrester's rules… for now. "I just knew you couldn't resist me for too long. You really are quite predictable, Doctor Stark. Follow me," Forrester said, turning around and leaving the cell.

Nathan glanced back at Carter, watching him shift in his sleep before he turned back around and followed Forrester out.

* * *

After spending some time with Allison arrangements had been made for Zoe to stay at Pilar's house until they found her father. Lucas had seen Zoe worried for her father many times before. Sheriff Carter seemed extremely skilled at getting himself into difficult situations. The first time had been during Zoe's party, which had turned into a lockdown when GD had detected a flesh eating virus that didn't exist. Zoe had been terrified her father wouldn't make it through the experience alive… and for a minute he wouldn't have if not for Doctor Fargo, Doctor Donovan, and Deputy Lupo. Lucas had done what he could, just being there for her, assuring her that everything would work out. When she needed someone to hold her he'd immediately wrapped her in his arms. The second time had involved a scientist that'd gone missing, forcing her father and Doctor Blake to enter a biosphere to find out what'd happened. Thanks to Doctor Fargo and Vincent, Zoe'd been forced to watch as her father tried to solve the case, putting himself in danger in the process. Again all he'd been able to do to help was hold her close and tell her everything would be okay.

This time it was different. When Pilar's mom had come to pick them up, Lucas had been eager to come with for Zoe's sake. Sheriff Carter had been kidnapped and no one seemed to have any information as to where he might be or who might have taken him. Lucas was sure he'd be going insane if it was him rather than Zoe waiting to hear some news about what'd happened. Pilar did her best, trying to distract Zoe, but nothing seemed to be working. Lucas knew she was barely holding on, and he felt useless. He wanted to be there for her, wanted to tell her everything would be okay… but would it? Would it really?

The three of them were sitting on the couch watching TV, though Zoe didn't seem to be very interested in what was on. She was staring into space, her thoughts preoccupied with her father. Lucas shared a quick glance with Pilar, both worried for the Sheriff's daughter. Without hesitation Lucas wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to him as he kissed the top of her head. Pilar gave him a faint smile. Zoe didn't fight him, simply wrapped an arm around him, holding on tight. "He's with Doctor Stark… they work pretty well together. You're Dad's gonna be fine, Zoe… I know it," Lucas assured her.

Zoe smiled. "Yeah… if they don't kill each other," she muttered.

Lucas couldn't help but chuckle. Everyone knew Stark and Carter's relationship was anything but complicated. They seemed to feed off fighting each other, yet whenever one needed the other… they were always there. When the Sheriff's life was on the line, Stark never gave up. When Stark's life was on the line, Carter never gave up. As much as they seemed to hate each other, it was obvious more was going on there under the surface. Perhaps secretly they still respected each other. Perhaps if it hadn't been for Doctor Blake they might have become friends. Perhaps it was something completely out there that no one ever expected and their feelings for each other ran deeper than even friendship. Lucas wasn't sure what to make of the two, but he knew if they were together… they'd find a way to survive together. They really did make quite a team.

* * *

Nathan walked cautiously into the rather impressive lab. He immediately noticed the many equations scribbled on black boards as well as the various equipment obviously from GD, and Nathan suspected mostly likely stolen. The set up was good. Stark had a feeling Forrester had been working on it for many years. "Impressive, isn't it?" asked Forrester with pride, waving a hand around. "It took me years to set all this up… years of planning."

The lab space was a scientist's dream, but Nathan wasn't about to throw out compliments to the man who'd poisoned Jack Carter. "I didn't come here to praise you're lab space, I came here because you need my help. As you said, we're not exactly dealing with a limitless supply of time."

Ethan Forrester shook his head. "No, I suppose we're not."

"You never told me what we're working on," Nathan reminded him, his voice low with barely contained anger. He'd barely tolerated him before he turned into a mad man.

Ethan walked closer to him. "Nano technology," he answered simply.

Nathan frowned, confused by the answer. "Unless I'm wrong, and the chances of that are slim to none… that's already been invented, Forrester."

Ethan smiled, looking at him as a parent would look at an innocent child. Stark's eyes narrowed. "Of course it has… I was especially impressed with Doctor Taggart's work. His nanoids not only managed to feed and replicate, but they actually took human form. If not for Sheriff Carter's quick thinking we'd have an army of Nathan Stark's on our hands bent on world domination. The man may be a comical fool, but he certainly was brought to Eureka for a reason." Forrester turned back around, facing the nearest computer as he typed a command. Seconds later a picture appeared on the screen. It was a magnified imagine of a nanoid only different. Very different.

Nathan took a step towards the computer, the scientist in him taking control, sending commands through out his brain as it tried to understand what Forrester was showing him. "It's organic."

"Bingo," whispered Ethan. "But it only gets better. Much like Taggart's nanoids it does possess certain capabilities… if injected into a body it will immediately feed and replicate at an astounding rate. Although parts are nano tech, the rest is purely organic. It fools the body into thinking it poses no threat. Unlike Taggart's precious nanoids it's not affected by frequency of sound… but it does have weaknesses. You are going to help me perfect it."

Stark stared at the screen, hearing Ethan's words and the more he heard the more the hairs on the back of his neck stood. He suddenly knew exactly what Ethan Forrester was doing, and why he was working on it in a secret bunker rather than one of GD's labs. It went above and beyond nano technology. It was the next form of warfare. "You're creating the next black plague… a nano virus."

Forrester raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Bio-warfare, it's truly ingenious, but there's always a cure. A plague erupts, millions die, but there's always some way to counteract it. Nuclear weapons destroy both us and this planet… it's too messy. 'Death rays' as your Sheriff so amusingly calls them are just as destructive. This… this is clean, and it is precise, and just as deadly."

Nathan felt sick to his stomach, and backed away from the computer. In a flash his mind calculated the death toll such a simple little piece of technology could cause. "This could kill millions."

"Correction… billions."

"You're talking about mass murder!" he shouted.

Ethan shook his head in disgust. "You sound like Eva Thorne."

Suddenly it all came together, and Nathan knew exactly why it'd been so important for Thorne to find out who'd been stealing GD equipment… and why the equipment had been stolen in the first place. Not even Thorne could stomach supporting something so dangerous. "You were going to be redacted," Stark whispered.

Suddenly Forrester's expression grew cold. "Amazing isn't it?! This town, Global Dynamics is _filled_ with the most powerful minds in the country, perhaps even the world… and we're controlled, forced to submit under _**fools**_! The DoD, Eva Thorne… they control our lives, are given a power over us, and yet they can't even comprehend what it is we create!" shouted Forrester.

"I'm not going to help you commit mass murder!" Stark shouted back, backing up even further, his heart pounding against his chest.

"Then Sheriff Jack Carter is going to die!"

The words stilled Nathan, and he could feel the conflict within. Forrester was insane, wanted to create something equally insane, but could he really stand by and watch Jack Carter die? There was still a chance they could be found by Lupo and the others, but would it be too late? If Stark were to help, it was possible he could earn Forrester's trust enough to escape. There would be no chance of that inside a cell. Carter's life was in Stark's hands, and he knew he couldn't simply sit in that cell and watch him slowly die. This was his chance… possibly his only chance to save them both.

"What will it be, Doctor Stark? Help me perfect this… or watch Sheriff Carter die? It's your choice."

Nathan closed his eyes, calming his racing heart before he opened them once more to look into Forrester's eyes. "I'll help," he finally whispered.

His stomach twisted at the smile that grew of Forrester's face.

* * *

In exchange for Nathan's help, Forrester had been more than willing to agree to any reasonable terms Stark had demanded… including whatever he needed to care for Carter. Apparently the concoction injected into Jack was a prototype of the same nano technology he was working on with Nathan. It mimicked that of a virus, only far more controlled. Although the body would not attack it, he was still to expect flu like symptoms… headache, fever, chills… the list went on. The only difference was, in five days he would be dead. Stark stared at the Sheriff as he slept restlessly, jerking in his sleep, sweat pouring down his face. It was already beginning. Nathan dipped the wash cloth into the bowl, and then gently placed it on Carter's forehead. Jack's eyes opened immediately at the shock of the cold cloth against burning skin. "Stark?" he asked, breathless.

"I'm here," he spoke, laying a hand on the other man's shoulder. It seemed like a comforting enough gesture… though Nathan had never been good with such things.

"You were gone for a long time," Jack said, his blue eyes staring back at Nathan, trying to read him. "For a minute I'd thought you'd escaped and left me behind," he joked.

Nathan smiled. "Not a bad idea…. It would certainly beat being stuck in a cell with you."

"Haven't you ever heard that phrase about _not_ kicking a dog when he's down?" Jack asked, smiling weakly.

"Can't say I have," Nathan lied. Carter's face had lost some color, and was clammy to the touch.

"Whatever that stuff Forrester injected me with… it's really doing a number on me. I could use a distraction… changed you mind about a game of truth or dare yet?"

It was amazing that even when faced with death, Carter still managed to annoy Stark. He couldn't help rolling his eyes at the man. "Never going to happen, Carter." Obviously Jack Carter wasn't going to make it easy for him.

* * *

Jo let out a frustrated sigh as she pushed the files off her desk to fall haphazardly onto the floor. Nothing! She'd been through hundreds and hundreds of files and not a thing to explain what might have happened to Carter and Stark! She was getting nowhere fast. GD had spent the entire day looking for DNA, but the place and been wiped clean. She had yet to hear from Henry, but from what Allison had told her, things weren't going well for him in Forrester's lab either. "Hey… hey, everything okay?" Zane asked quietly, coming up behind her, massaging her shoulders.

She could hear the worry in his voice and immediately deflated. "I can't find anything in here. We've got more people than we know what to do with going through all these files and there's nothing! Forrester didn't leave anything behind. He knew exactly what he was doing," she told him, closing her eyes as she rubbed her temples, trying to fight off the headache she could feel coming.

"Maybe you should take a break… get some rest and look through the rest of these tomorrow?" Zane offered.

Jo shook her head fiercely. "I can't! Carter and Stark are missing! I can't let them down. He couldn't have been this thorough. There's got to be something in here… something he forgot. I'm missing something! Carter went to Forrester's house because he'd learned Forrester was stealing from GD, but why? And if he was so thorough, why would he leave a trail that would lead Carter straight to him?" she asked, more to herself than to Zane.

"Maybe he wanted to get caught," Zane offered thoughtfully.

Lupo froze, frowning at Zane's words. "What?"

Zane paused his hands, walking over to sit on her desk. "The guy left nothing behind… which tells me he's obviously a thorough guy, right? He made a plan… so that makes me wonder, why wasn't he the same way when it came to stealing GD equipment? Why was it so easy for Carter to realize it was him… unless he wanted to be caught," Zane explained, shrugging as Jo stared at him. "Just a guess."

Jo stood, an idea formulating in her mind. "No, no… it's good. You're right! We've been looking at this all wrong! Forrester did mess up, just in the wrong case. I need to get to the Sheriff's office! I'll be back soon!" she told him, kissing him quickly before she rushed for the door.

Zane watched her go, obviously confused. "Uh… happy to help… I think."

To Be Continued


	3. Chapter 3

Out of Time

By andieshep/ Andie O'Neill

Rating: T/ R

Genre: Romance, Angst, Alternate Universe, (slight) Action/Adventure

Pairing: Nathan/Jack, Lucas/Zoe, Zane/Jo, (Mentions of Nathan/Allison)

Warnings: Slash, (small hints) Sex, Violence, Language

Spoilers: Season Three

Summary: Jack's life is on the line when he and Nathan are kidnapped by a scientist bent on creating a weapon more powerful than anything ever built… and Nathan's going to help whether he wants to or not.

A/N: Hey guys! Hope ya'll had an awesome Christmas with lots of presents and good food! :D Hope you enjoy the chap! Let me know how ya liked it!

Disclaimer: You think I'd be writing fan fiction if I owned Eureka and it's characters? I think not! Don't own a thing.

* * *

Part Three

It'd taken hours for Carter to fall back asleep, but as the lights dimmed in the small cell signaling that it was probably late in the night the air seemed to grow cooler and cooler till not even the extra blankets Forrester had provided were enough. Nathan knew the logical thing would be for him and the Sheriff to share body heat. Carter was already weak, and change in the temperature would not help matters. It shouldn't be a big deal. Still, Nathan hesitated despite the cold. Forrester had warned him how much colder it would get… that the bunker wasn't equipped with heating which meant the outside temperature affected the bunker's temperature. It'd be a long night, and Stark needed his rest if he was going to be any good in the morning when he continued his work with Ethan Forrester. The cot was certainly large enough for him and Carter to share. Yet still, Nathan hesitated.

It'd been months since his proposal of marriage had been rejected by Allison. Although she'd admitted she still carried feelings for him, she'd felt it would be wrong to give in. The word she'd used often was 'complicated.' Although Nathan hadn't been very pleased with the answer, he'd known why she'd given it. He knew Allison cared for him, but he also knew of her attraction to Jack Carter. What's worse, although he truly had believed he loved Allison… still did, he carried conflicted feelings of his own… feelings he'd yet to deal with despite Allison's insistence that he should. How she'd known something he himself had only recently begun to accept, he'd never understand, but it didn't change the obvious truth that he also harbored feelings for the difficult Sheriff Jack Carter. She'd believed his proposal had been just his way of running from that truth, and Nathan knew as he looked down at Carter that she'd been right. With Allison between them there wasn't room for much else, but now she'd stepped out of the picture, made it clear to him that she couldn't do it all again… leaving him to deal with feelings he'd tried desperately to ignore.

Now the very person he'd been struggling to understand his feelings for, was on the verge of dying. In the past when Carter had been in trouble he'd always found some distraction to keep his thoughts away from his feelings, but in their cell there were no distractions. It was only him and Jack, and at the moment he was just struggling to keep Carter comfortable until he figured out a way to get them both out alive. There was no way of distancing himself from the man lying by him, depending on him to survive. He was forced to give of himself whether he wanted to or not. He was Jack Carter's caretaker… his company. As cold as it was, Nathan wasn't sure he could handle being so intimate with Carter… whether for body heat or not… they would be sleeping together, huddling for warmth. Nathan had just barely come to grips with the fact that he was attracted to Carter both physically, and surprisingly emotionally, and intellectually as well. Despite Carter's lack of knowledge, he never failed to challenge Nathan in was no one else did. More than that he made Stark laugh, seemed to understand him in ways not even Allison could.

Nathan lifted up the blankets and slid in next to Jack, hesitating for a moment before he wrapped his arms around the man, surprised when Jack immediately shifted into his uncomfortable embrace unconsciously. Stark watched the Sheriff sleep, his shivering finally going away. He looked so different. His hair was slicked against his skin, wet from sweat caused by the nanoids Forrester had injected him with. He looked pale, and weak, yet with a secret strength that simply couldn't be understood. The Sheriff was getting through the pain, dealing with it well. Even Forrester had been impressed when he'd come to check on them both hours before. Stark knew he shouldn't have been surprised. Carter was too stubborn to just throw in the towel like others might have even when faced with death. In the past he'd always put up one hell of a fight, and he was doing the same now. Stark gently brushed some hair away from his face. "Hang in there, Carter. I'll figure something out…" he promised, whispering despite the man being in a deep sleep. Nathan settled in beside the Sheriff and closed his eyes, forcing himself to relax and drift off. He needed all the rest he could get.

* * *

Henry rubbed his face, closing his eyes tight. He'd been staring at the computer screen for hours and it was beginning to wear on him. He simply wasn't as young as he used to be. "How's it coming?"

The scientist let his hands drop as he looked over at Allison, watching her enter Forrester's lab. "It's not. I've been thought this computer a million times. It took me hours to open up files he's got under major lockdown, but none of it has any information as to where Forrester might be… or where he's keeping Jack and Nathan," he told her, turning back to the computer as he scrolled down to look at an image.

Allison took a few steps closer, walking behind him as she leaned against the back of his chair. "What are you looking at now?"

Henry shook his head. "Just some secret project he was working for. I thought it might be worth looking into. It took me over four hours to crack the code just to hack into his system… avoiding a million different traps he'd set up. I figured if it was that big a secret, it might be worth something," he explained, his eyes never leaving the image.

"What is it?" Allison asked, peering closer.

"It's a nanoid, nano probe… whatever you want to call it. He was working on an organic nano probe similar in design to Taggart's nanoids. Only this one replicates faster and carries a different function than Taggart's nanoids did. I've been looking at his research and he seemed obsessed with bio-mechanical warfare, biological warfare… nuclear warfare. He even has references on deadly plagues and viruses. I haven't gotten very far in my reading, but my guess is he was planning on adopting the information and using it to create the ultimate weapon." Henry shook his head. "This could quite possibly make nuclear weapons look feeble in comparison."

"My god," gasped Allison, standing straight as she seemed to realize what Henry was saying. "Does Thorne know he was working on this?"

Henry shrugged, scrolling down further. "I can't say."

"Have you been able to get anywhere with Forrester's personal computer."

Henry sighed, finally turning away to look at Allison. "It seems his obsession with nano technology can be used in a variety of different ways. When I tried to open it up I realized he'd introduced a nano virus into the system… the hard drive's completely disintegrated. There's no way I can get anything out of it. I'm hoping since this is the last project Forrester was working on, that it might help me understand what he's been up to the last couple of months. He obviously put a lot of man hours into this project. He wouldn't just abandon it…. I have a feeling this is the only lead he left behind when he disappeared along with Jack and Nathan." It was possibly a long shot, but Henry was getting desperate by this point. Going into Forrester's research was the only way Henry knew how to help… as the scientist had already taken care of everything else.

Allison frowned, nodding her understanding. "Keep working on it… find what you can. I'll inform Jo in the morning. Just… don't work yourself too hard," she told him gently, laying a hand on his shoulder before she turned to leave Forrester's lab. "I'll check in tomorrow morning to see what else you've learned.

Henry watched her go. "Of course… tomorrow," he spoke before turning back to the computer, reading through the equations Forrester had been working on.

* * *

"… _Abby this is my job! He killed three police officers and I've been sent to find him before more people die! They need as many people on this as they can get and I'm one of the best. I don't want to argue with you anymore!"_

"_Fine, you want to leave?! Go! Run from your problems like you always do, but you go tell your daughter why you're not going to be here for her tenth birthday!"_

_Zoe watched through a crack in the door as her parents yelled… they always yelled. Dad wasn't going to be home for her birthday? He'd promised! He'd promised he'd be there to watch her blow out her candles! Why did he have to go?_

"_No Abby! You are not making me the bad guy again! This is my job! This is important! You never understood that!"_

"_Your DAUGHTER is important!"_

"_I love her! She knows that! There will be other birthdays, Abby! I have to go!" Zoe took a step back in surprise as the door swung open and she saw her father's face switch from anger to surprise. With a sigh he got down on one knee, frowning at Zoe. "Heard all that huh?"_

_Zoe looked away. "Do you have to go?"_

"_Zo… I wish I didn't, but this guy is really dangerous. They need me out there to capture him. Forgive me?" he asked, his eyes begging for her to understand._

_Zoe's frown deepened. "I guess," she whispered only to be pulled in a hard hug by her father. Zoe wrapped her arms around him, looking up to see her mother folding her arms angrily._

"_I'll make it up to you, Zo… I promise," he assured her, kissing her forehead. "Love you."_

"_Love you too, Daddy."_

_Zoe watched her father stand, turning to look at Abby. He gave her a brief kiss on her cheek and grabbed his bag, giving them both one last look. "I'll see you both soon," he told them and opened the front door, leaving. Zoe rushed to the window, watching her father climb into his car and drive away, brushing away a tear as she tried to hide her disappointment._

_A second later she turned around and she was suddenly in a hospital hallway. Zoe turned around, surprised by the sudden change, scared as she saw all the people. She looked into the room in front of her and gasped as she saw Doctor's crowding around a patient. She took a step closer to get a better look, her eyes widening as she realized it was her father._

"_CLEAR!" the doctor's shouted as they lay the paddles on his exposed chest and his body jerked. He was bleeding badly, and nurses were rushing all around him in desperation._

"_Dad!" she shouted, but was pulled away from the door. "No!" she screamed, trying to struggle away from the hands pulling her, but she couldn't get away. "Dad!"_

Zoe sat up, gasping in the dark. She hadn't had the dream in a very long time… but it certainly hit home after what she'd been told. Zoe took a deep breath, wishing her mother was with her. Allison had promised to inform her of the situation, but Zoe doubted she'd be able to get to Eureka very fast… if she could even be reached at all. Zoe sighed, running a hand through her hair as she tried to shake the memories. This was different. He was going to be fine… just fine. He had people doing everything they could to find him… and they would. Allison promised. Zoe huffed, getting out of bed slowly so as not to wake up Pilar.

She found herself walking over to the window. Living in a bunker had its perks, but sometimes Zoe missed looking out a window and just watching the stars and moon. This was Eureka. This town had given her father back to her… given her a family. It wouldn't be the town that took that from her too. This was where she belonged, where her father belonged. She was finally happy, finally at peace. Jo would find her father… and he was going to be just fine. Zoe closed her eyes, sitting in the chair by the window, resting her head against the window as she imagined her father's face. He was frustrating, strict, infuriating, and by no means the best father in the world… but he was still _her_ father. He was the only one she had, and she loved him. Where ever he was, just hoped he was okay… because she wasn't ready to lose him.

* * *

Jack moaned in his sleep, feeling completely miserable. His body ached, he had a headache which seemed bent on turning into a full blown migraine, and he'd never felt so weak in his life. Still, despite all that, he awoke feeling strangely calm and content… and very warm. Slowly he risked opening his eyes and realized the reason for his comfort had to do with the arms wrapped tightly around him under the blanket. Gently he turned around to see Nathan Stark and immediately froze. "Okay… this is new," he mumbled to himself, staring at the scientist. As good as it felt to wake up next someone again, somehow even as Carter's memories of their kidnapping returned, he couldn't quite wrap his mind around the fact that Nathan Stark was in bed with him. The first question that popped up was why Nathan Stark would get in bed with him in the first place. Despite the fact that there was only one cot in the small cell Carter never would have expected Stark to want to share with a man he barely tolerated.

Perhaps he was seeing things. Maybe it was just another dream… fantasy. Although usually in his fantasies he didn't feel like crap when he found himself in bed with Nathan Stark… and they certainly weren't busy sleeping. Jack was pretty sure he was awake, meaning the real Nathan Stark was in bed with him… asleep. It was strange how peaceful he looked. His features were relaxed, almost open, and it was like seeing another side of the scientist. Carter watched him silently, taking in the moment, quieting his questions to just enjoy the moment for once. He wondered what Zoe would think about him waking up with Nathan Stark beside him. Although she seemed more than happy teasing him about Allison, she seemed hesitant to talk much about Stark. All he knew was that she mildly respected him, and believed he was funny. Carter knew that it was partly his fault she didn't feel comfortable talking about the man. Every time she brought up his name he would find himself thrown into a darker mood as he went on ranting about all the scientist's faults. It was hard not to the way the man seemed so insistent on frustrating him, insulting him. He doubted Zoe would ever believe that he harbored certain feelings for the scientist. Hell, _he_ wasn't even sure he could believe it himself!

Jack had always liked strong women. His first girlfriend had been a passionate woman, a real firecracker as his sister had liked to call her. Abby too had proven to be a handful. It had taken months for him to even get her to look his way and consider him. At the time she'd been in college, and he'd known from the very beginning that he'd wanted her. She on the other hand hadn't shared his interest. His friends had found their conversations to be quite amusing, especially when they ended with her shutting him down for the thousandth time. Yet somehow he'd gotten her to fall in love with him. It turned out Carter also liked strong men. His first boyfriend had been headstrong and passionate, and had given Jack a run for his money from the very beginning. Ironically they'd started off as rivals… both training to be Marshalls and both at the top of their class. The competition had been fierce and they'd barely been able to stand being in the same room together until one night they'd agreed on a sparing match… only the sparing had turned into wrestling, which had turned into something else entirely. Then there was Nathan Stark. He was handsome, intelligent, sharp witted, and completely irritating. They could barely stand being in the same room together without resisting the urge to commit murder. And he wanted him… oh god did he want him.

He loved fighting with him, loved frustrating him, loved being with him. Jack sighed, feeling slightly dizzy and screwed his eyes shut. A second later he felt Nathan move beside him. "Jack?"

Carter opened his eyes, seeing Stark's green gaze. "I'm okay… still alive. Though for a minute I was starting to wonder if we should put hallucinations on my list of symptoms… never expected to be waking up next to you in the morning," he spoke with a small smile, trying to hide how much pain he was actually in.

Nathan smiled. "Don't start getting any ideas… it was a cold night. Nothing more."

Jack smile grew just a bit more. "Sure Stark… it's perfectly fine. You're actually more pleasant when you're unconscious… I kinda prefer you that way," he teased.

Stark rolled his eyes, huffing in annoyance. "The feelings mutual, Carter," he assured him, moving off the cot.

* * *

"Jo. Jo. JO!" Deputy Lupo jumped, shocked awake by the voice and immediately laid a hand on her gun as she looked around only to see Zane standing in front of her desk, arms folded with an amused grin on his face. "Don't tell me you've been here all night?"

Jo glared at him. She must have fallen asleep. "I was busy going through Carter's case file regarding the GD equipment Forrester stole."

"Right," said Zane, handing her a cup of coffee. "Thought you might need this," he explained with a shrug. "So, get anywhere in the case?" he questioned.

Lupo shook her head. Carter was surprisingly thorough in his work. He'd detailed the entire investigation from start to finish and Jo was still very much at the start. "Not really. Apparently, it was Forrester's supervisor that first noticed the thefts, but had no idea who was responsible and requested that Thorne contact Carter. I remember him telling me Thorne seemed pretty eager to have it taken care of quickly. I found a list of the items missing, which I'm going to send to Henry. Half of the items on the list I couldn't make heads or tails of. Carter had no idea what any of them were either, but in his notes he mentioned that Stark explained their uses well enough for him to get a general idea why Thorne was so nervous."

"Sounds like very dry reading," Zane observed, taking a seat on her desk as he leaned over her, trying to get a better look at the computer.

"You have no idea."

Zane smiled, pointing to the screen. "Look at this. It seems our Sheriff believed whoever was responsible had someone working with him. Some of the equipment stolen was too big for whoever to just walk out the door with it. He never got the chance to find out who it might have been helping Forrester. Video was tampered with… some was deleted, other parts looped."

Lupo smiled. "If we can find whoever was working with Forrester we might be able to learn where he is now… and where Carter and Stark are."

Zane nodded in agreement. "Now we're getting somewhere! We need a look at those tapes…."

* * *

"Forrester will be here soon," Nathan whispered, looking over at Jack. "I agreed to help him on his project."

Jack frowned, pushing to sit up on the cot, staring at Stark. "Stark, he's not going to let us go, and he's certainly not going to just hand me the antidote with a pat on the back and a wave goodbye. You can't trust him."

Stark would have liked to talk freely with Carter, explain his plan to turn the tables on Forrester, but if he knew anything about Ethan, he was sure the man had the room bugged. He needed to be careful what he said. He just hoped Carter would get the message. "We don't have a choice. I'm not just going to sit in this cell watching you slowly die. We don't have much time… only a few days."

"Stark-"

"Carter, for once, just shut up and trust me!" Nathan interrupted impatiently, standing up; his back turned as he tried to calm himself down. He didn't want to fight the Sheriff. Stark had the chance to save them both and he didn't need Jack Carter ruining his plans. It wasn't exactly the best idea Nathan had ever come up with, but it was the only plan they had. They were backed into a corner and there was no other way out… at least no way that Nathan could see.

"Stark, whether you believe me or not, you should know I do have some experience with these things and let me tell you… it never works out so well for the hostages even if they do make it out alive." Jack struggled to get out of bed, barely managing to stand. Nathan turned around, sighing as he saw Carter standing slightly bent over by the cot, forcing himself to face the scientist. He certainly was a stubborn one… even when he was days away from death. "You're walking a very thin line and you have no idea what you're doing."

Stark rolled his eyes. "Oh please, Carter. You've been working in Eureka for almost two years now, in that time have you ever known what you were doing?" he questioned, watching Carter shift awkwardly.

"Uh… that's different. I had Jo, you and Henry."

"And I have you," Nathan argued. "I'm not just going to let you die, Carter."

Jack shook his head, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. "You know what, save it! Don't make this about me! We aren't friends, hell we can't even stand each other! I bet if I were on fire right now you wouldn't even piss on me to get the flames out so don't pretend you're doing this for me! You're just a selfish, egotistical; son of a bitch and you're saving your own ass!" Carter shouted, surprising the scientist with the venom in his voice. "Whatever he's planning it can't be good for Eureka… or anyone else for that matter! You can't trust him! All you are is a tool he's using for whatever insanity he's dreamed up! He's already kidnapped us and poisoned me… he's not just going to let us go!"

Nathan looked away for a second before walking over to the Sheriff, forcing him to sit back down, trying to keep his emotions under control. He just didn't get it… didn't understand what Nathan was sacrificing just to save the man. They may have had their issues in the past, but that didn't mean Carter meant nothing to him. He just wished Jack could see that. "Get some rest, Carter."

A second later they heard a bang at the door and Nathan turned just in time to see one of the guards open the door. "Doctor Stark… it's time."

"Stark-"

Nathan turned away. "Stay out of this, Sheriff," he snapped and walked out the door without looking back.

To Be Continued


	4. Chapter 4

Out of Time

By Andie O'Neill

Rating: T/ R

Genre: Romance, Angst, Alternate Universe, (slight) Action/Adventure

Pairing: Nathan/Jack, Lucas/Zoe, Zane/Jo, (Mentions of Nathan/Allison)

Warnings: Slash, (small hints) Sex, Violence, Language

Spoilers: Season Three

Summary: Jack's life is on the line when he and Nathan are kidnapped by a scientist bent on creating a weapon more powerful than anything ever built… and Nathan's going to help whether he wants to or not.

A/N: Hope you guys enjoy! This chap was supposed to be bigger, but I decided to split it in half since it was so long… hopefully you'll get the other chap in a couple days!

Disclaimer: You think I'd be writing fan fiction if I owned Eureka and it's characters? I think not! Don't own a thing.

* * *

Part Four

Jo frowned, looking over her computer as Zane sat in Carter's chair, feet resting on the desk as he typed away on Carter's computer. While she went through video footage of anyone Forrester seemed to regularly associate with, Zane had volunteered to see if he could identify any video's that'd been tampered with so they could focus on time frames they couldn't account for. They'd been working for hours, and in that time Zane had become more and more relaxed in Carter's chair, and somehow Jo had a feeling the Sheriff wouldn't appreciate the scientist's shoes resting on his desk.

"Ah ha!" shouted Zane, with a growing grin.

"Found something?" Jo asked, immediately getting up to see what Zane was looking at. She frowned when she realized Zane had broken into classified records. "What the hell, Zane? You were supposed to be looking for video tampering!"

Zane rolled his eyes. "Yeah, finished that… it was getting me nowhere. However, I did notice something in some of the videos I looked through… a scientist seen frequently with Forrester. His name is Doctor Darren Milton, and guess where he works," he spoke.

Lupo smiled. "Tell me it's in shipping?"

"You got it, babe! They looked to be extremely friendly. I say we give him a visit and see what he has to say for himself," suggested Donovan with a mischievous smile.

"Correction… _I'm_ going down to GD to pay him a visit while you get to work making a list of any others Forrester was known to associate with, including Forrester's supervisor. I'd also like you to get your hands on any information regarding Forrester's background… _legally_ this time."

Zane's smirk immediately disappeared as he groaned. "Oh come on! Where's the fun in that?!"

Jo just gave him a smile, grabbing her car keys. "Don't make me arrest you," she threatened playfully.

Zane's smile returned, as she knew it would. "Now there's an interesting thought…."

Lupo just rolled her eyes and left the station.

* * *

Forrester looked over Doctor Stark's shoulder, checking on his progress and smiled. "I knew you were the perfect man for the job. You truly are a brilliant scientist, Doctor Stark."

Nathan ignored the scientist, keeping his eyes focused in the telescope as he observed the nano probes reaction when exposed to different forms of radiation. It was his hope to identify any weaknesses that would be harmless enough to a person, but could break down the nano probes.

"You know, I could use someone like you. This is only the tip of the iceberg… there are so many theories I've yet to prove or even explore yet. A man as brilliant as you… such talent… it's being wasted at Global. Thorne has you on a leash… just as the DoD did while you were in charge," said Forrester, walking back over to his own workstation.

Stark glared at the scientist. "Sorry, not interested."

Ethan simply smiled. "Easy Stark, I know you're in a mood after your little lovers quarrel with Carter but-"

"The Sheriff and I are NOT lovers," Nathan corrected gruffly, the scientist's words hinting a very sensitive nerve. He'd tried to ignore the other man, but it simply didn't seem possible.

"I see… it certainly looked like you were last night. It's obvious you care deeply for the Sheriff; it's why I took him. I knew the only chance I had of getting you to agree to help would be by threatening Carter. Everyone in Eureka seems curious about the relationship between the great Doctor Stark and Sheriff Carter," Forrester went on, and Nathan gripped the table to keep from lashing out.

"We barely tolerate each other. He's a rival, nothing more," he assured the scientist, not quite sure why it was so important that he argue with the man. Why would he even care what Forrester thought?

"And yet here you are… risking billions of lives for an enemy? Interesting."

Nathan sighed, looking up at Ethan with an annoyed glare. "Forgive me, but I thought the reason why I was here was to help you perfect your organic nanoids, not discuss my private life. You've injected him with something deadly and I only have a few days to help you, while saving his life," he snapped.

Ethan paused, bowing his head in understanding, giving him an amused smile. "Right…."

* * *

Lupo entered GD and immediately headed for Forrester's lab first to see how Henry was doing. When she found the lab she saw Henry sitting at Ethan Forrester's desk reading something on the computer and immediately cleared her throat to make herself known. "Hey Henry."

Henry glanced up, giving her a small smile. "Hey Jo, how's the investigation going?"

Lupo sighed, walking over to the scientist. "We're making progress. Zane's being surprisingly helpful. How's it going on your end?"

Henry leaned back in the chair, turning to face Jo. "I've managed to open up quite a few encrypted files, but none that explain where Forrester might have gone or how he was stealing GD equipment. I've been reading his research… on nano technology, looking at some of the video diaries he left behind; including one entry that detailed a test he did using lab rats injected with his organic nanoids. It was his hope to control the nanoids, control how long it took for the subject to die, the rate of nanoid replication… things like that. The interesting thing was there were quite a few issues he was unable to correct. He never could gain full control and in some cases he was forced to flip a kill switch he programmed into the nanoids. I was just about to send what data I have to Allison. She wanted a full report on my progress."

Jo frowned, feeling her stomach twist at the idea of Carter or Stark being one of Forrester's subjects. "Understood… thanks for the update. Somehow I have a feeling whatever Forrester's up to… it's got to be connected with these nanoids. The only thing I haven't quite figured out is why he'd kidnap the Sheriff and Doctor Stark."

"Perhaps he knew they were on to him," offered Henry.

Jo shook his head. "If that were the case, why disappear with him? Besides, Carter made Thorne, Allison, and myself aware of the situation before he went to confront Forrester. There's got to be more to this…" she spoke, more to herself than to Henry.

Henry nodded. "Well, in the meantime I was hoping you could have Taggart help me go through some of this. It looks like some of Forrester's research was directly connected to Taggart's nanoids."

Jo blushed at the idea of having to face Taggart with their history, but tried her best not to show her hesitation. "Uh… sure thing, Henry. I'll let him know. I'm sure he'd be happy to help."

Henry smiled knowingly before turning back to the computer. "Thanks, Jo… I'll let you know if I find anything more."

"Thanks," she said, walking toward the door before she turned back around. "Henry… you wouldn't happen to know a Doctor Darren Milton… would you?"

Henry paused for a moment. "He works in shipping… been there for a while now. I've worked with him before. Interesting guy, but pretty private. Why?"

Jo shook her head. "No reason, just going to pay him a visit."

The scientist gave a knowing nod. "Good luck."

"You too," she replied and left the lab.

* * *

When Nathan Stark had prepared himself after a days work with Forrester to face Sheriff Jack Carter, he hadn't exactly expected to hear the sound of someone emptying the contents of their stomach as he walked inside. Stark winced as he saw Carter bent over their toilet retching violently. Forgetting about their fight, he immediately rushed over to the Sheriff, laying a hand on his back as he finished. When the worst seemed to be over, Carter moaned, collapsing against the wall while Nathan stooped beside him. The man looked like death, and Stark ignored how his heart skipped a beat with worry. The Sheriff had his back against the wall, too weak to move, eyes closed, and head tipped back. "Carter?"

Jack cracked an eye open to look at Stark and shook his head weakly. "I uh… got dizzy. Was pushing myself a bit too hard, I guess."

"Well, we all know how stubborn you can be, Sheriff," Nathan told him, moving to sit next to Carter until he was strong enough to be moved back to the cot.

Jack chuckled. "Says the pot to the kettle," he muttered. Nathan couldn't exactly argue with him there, so he simply shrugged his acknowledgement. "Stark?"

"Yeah Carter?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered, closing his eyes again. "I'm sorry for what I said. It was uncalled for, and frankly I don't know why I even said it. All you've done is try to take care of me. I just… hate this. I can barely move on my own… I'm useless, and I can't stand just lying here while you're busy trying to save both our asses," he told him, shaking his head angrily.

Stark knew how it felt to be useless, and it was not a very pleasurable feeling. There had been times when he'd been forced to watch uselessly while others faded away… including Jack, who on a number of occasions had just barely made it out alive. "Carter, I will get us both out of here. I won't let you down-"

"Stark-"

"No just listen to me for once!" the scientist insisted. "I'll find a way-"

"Nathan!" Stark stopped talking, turning to look at Jack, seeing the Sheriff's eyes darken. He never called him by his first name. "Don't make those kinds of promises. If you do find a way to get out of here you take it. Do you understand me? Don't come back for me… just take it and go."

Stark immediately shook his head.

"If you see a chance, take it! Get the hell out. I'm in no condition for an escape. I can barely stand on my own. I want to promise me you'll take your chances without me."

"Carter-"

"Promise me, Nathan!" Jack demanded, and Nathan frowned, unable to look away as he saw the desperation in the other man's eyes. "Promise me."

Stark knew he could never truly promise such a thing. He wasn't going to leave Carter behind… no matter what issues stood between them. "I promise," he lied.

Jack searched his eyes, trying to find something, and Nathan refused to look away, hoping he could convince Carter that he was telling the truth. Finally the Sheriff looked away. "Has anyone ever told you, you're an excellent liar, Stark?"

Nathan smiled at that. "Not to my knowledge…."

Carter smiled back. "Consider it told," he muttered and when their gazes locked the walls seemed to go down for just a moment. For a moment Nathan could see everything, and his heart sped up.

The scientist's smile grew, and he moved his arm around Jack's back. "Let's get you back to bed…."

"Careful there, Stark, a guy could get the wrong idea," joked Jack, rebuilding his barriers just as quickly as they had fallen.

Nathan rolled his eyes, pulling him to his feet.

* * *

Lucas had been doing his best to keep an eye on Zoe, but it was hard as they only had a hand full of classes together. She looked exhausted, and he wondered silently if it'd been a good idea for her to go to school while her father was still missing. Pilar had called him that morning to tell him Zoe had apparently had a bad nightmare the night before, and refused to talk about it. Lucas knew how close Zoe was to her father, and he hated to see her going through what she was dealing with alone. He wanted to be there for her, but he feared she'd only push him away if he tried to confront her.

He just wish someone would tell him what was going on in the investigation. They hadn't been told anything since Doctor Blake had informed Zoe of her father's disappearance. Had they learned anything? Were they close to finding Doctor Stark and the Sheriff? All the waiting was driving him crazy, so he could only imagine what Zoe was going through. Lucas took a seat beside her, lunch in hand and smiled. "Hey," he greeted.

Zoe smiled back, and he could see the lines under her eyes. "Hey."

Lucas frowned, trying to think of something he could say… something that would help, but his mind was drawing a blank. There had to be something, something he could say that would help. "I was thinking we could stop by the station after school… maybe see how the investigation is going," he offered.

Zoe shook her head. "She couldn't tell us anything, Lucas. Actually, I was planning on going home… grabbing a few things for Pilar's house. Wanna come?"

Lucas nodded. "Sure," he agreed. There was a long silence before Lucas finally couldn't take anymore and he turned to look at Zoe. "What you think of dinner… Café Diem's… you, me, and Pilar? We could even play a few games of chess," he offered.

Zoe's smile grew just a bit, and he was sure she knew exactly what he was doing. Distraction seemed like the only thing he _could_ do to help. "Okay, but only if you promise not to get mad when I totally destroy you."

Lucas smiled. "Promise." Now that sounded like the Zoe he knew….

* * *

After looking for Doctor Milton everywhere, she'd finally resorted to relying on Fargo, only to learn the guy had left early. After getting the address from Fargo she immediately left and headed for Milton's home, a fifteen minute drive. Jo stood on the rather large porch, ringing the doorbell for the second time as she waited for the scientist to answer. When the door finally opened she was greeted by a man who looked in his late thirties. He had chocolate brown eyes, tanned skin, and small glass frames. His hair was a dark brown, cut short, and seemed to stick up everywhere, as if the man had just woken up. Somehow the look worked for the man. "Doctor Darren Milton?"

Milton frowned. "Deputy… what's this about?" he asked, giving her a curious look.

"I was hoping to talk to you about a good friend of yours… Ethan Forrester. Can I have a moment of your time?"

Milton's frown only grew upon hearing her explanation and he immediately moved to the side to let her in. "Sure… come on in. The place is a bit of a mess… forgive me," he spoke.

Jo entered the house, heading for the living room before she turned around to face the scientist. "So tell me… how well did you know Doctor Ethan Forrester?"

Milton blushed, looking away. "Would you like something to drink? Water? Tea?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

The scientist cleared his throat awkwardly before taking a seat on his couch. "Um… I knew him pretty well… we uh… we were close," he spoke, his answers suspiciously vague.

Jo narrowed her eyes. "How close?"

Milton refused to look her in the eye, instead choosing to focus on his hands. "We were… lovers. We were dating," he explained, surprising Jo. She hadn't expected that. Zane had mentioned they seemed extremely close, but she hadn't gotten the message he had obviously been trying to convey. This certainly made things interesting.

"I see. Did you know Doctor Forrester was suspected for stealing GD equipment? He was going to be taken in for questioning by Sheriff Carter, but instead went missing along with the Sheriff and a Doctor Nathan Stark," she informed him, paying close attention to his reaction.

Milton looked up at her finally, frowning. "I… I hadn't heard from him for a few days now. He said he'd been caught up in something, something big, but he refused to tell me anything more." Milton stood, wiping slick hands on his jeans. "Look, I know why you're here, but I promise you I have no idea where he could be. We broke up… two weeks ago. We got into a fight. He'd been pretty distant recently, keeping secrets from me, and I was getting sick of it. I knew something was wrong, but he wouldn't listen to me."

Jo frowned, not sure whether to believe the man or not. Either way she couldn't take the risk. If Milton was lying, she couldn't risk him disappearing like Forrester had. "Doctor Milton… I think you should come with me. I have a few more questions, and I think it would be better if we went to GD for this."

Milton nodded eagerly. "I'll grab my coat," he spoke, leaving the room.

Jo watched him go, an uneasy feeling sweeping over her as she looked around the room, noticing a window nearby. She immediately walked over to it, seeing the scientist's backyard, noticing with a sigh as Darren Milton rushed through the backyard and into the neighbor's yard. Jo shook her head, rushing through the back door. "Why do they always run?" she asked herself, pulling out her gun, and rushed to catch up to the retreating scientist.

* * *

He was getting worse. Nathan watched silently as Carter groaned in pain, eyes closed tight, face growing more and more pale. He'd been having muscle cramps, dizzy spells, and had vomited more than once since Stark had returned to the cell. The man was suffering, and Nathan had no idea how to help. The Sheriff was sitting in the corner on the cot, back against the wall, and legs tucked under him as he tried to endure the pain. Nathan sat beside him, wanting to comfort him somehow. No one should have to suffer the way Carter currently was, and he couldn't resist the need inside him to help somehow. Stark's eyebrows rose in surprise as Carter grasped his hand, holding it tight as his head dropped back against the wall. Nathan linked their hands, holding his just as tight. "I'm not giving up on you, Carter," he assured the man.

Jack nodded, gritting his teeth. The pain came and went. The nanoids weren't meant to torture its victims, though from where Stark was it certainly seemed like they were. Thankfully, Forrester had agreed to giving Carter some pain killers, which would take affect soon. "I know," said Carter, forcing his eyes open to look at Nathan.

"You just have to hang in there… I'll get us out of this."

Jack smiled through his pain. "You know… this whole 'you being nice to me' thing is really starting to freak me out."

Nathan couldn't help but smile back. "Haven't you ever heard that saying about not kicking a dog when he's down?" he replied, referring to Carter's earlier words. "Even I have my limits, Sheriff."

Jack chuckled, his laugh quickly turning into a coughing fit. "Who knew? The Tinman's had a heart all along."

Stark raised an eyebrow. "Tinman? Does that make you the Scarecrow?"

Carter shook his head. "Couldn't resist, could you?"

"Nope. You left yourself wide open that time, Sheriff."

"Touché…" Carter muttered, closing his eyes once more. "You know Dorothy always liked the Scarecrow best anyway, so I guess I can live with that. I always did have a crush on her…."

Nathan could see the Sheriff was exhausted. The pain seemed to be waning, and Carter was slowly drifting off, his grip on Stark's hand loosening. The two men sat in silence waiting for the drugs to kick in, and eventually Jack drifted off, his head slowly dropping to Nathan's shoulder. Stark stared down at the Sheriff, sighing. "I always liked the Scarecrow, personally," he admitted, whispered to the Sheriff before gently laying him down on the cot to rest. It was at that moment that Nathan realized if he did manage to get Carter to safety he would have to face his feelings head on and deal with whatever the consequences would be. Jack needed to know how Nathan felt… whether he returned those feelings or not.

To Be Continued


	5. Chapter 5

Out of Time

By Andie O'Neill

Rating: T/ R

Genre: Romance, Angst, Alternate Universe, (slight) Action/Adventure

Pairing: Nathan/Jack, Lucas/Zoe, Zane/Jo, (Mentions of Nathan/Allison)

Warnings: Slash, (small hints) Sex, Violence, Language

Spoilers: Season Three

Summary: Jack's life is on the line when he and Nathan are kidnapped by a scientist bent on creating a weapon more powerful than anything ever built… and Nathan's going to help whether he wants to or not.

A/N: Another chapter! Yay! Sorry it's so short, but this chapter was a bit split up as I said before. Let me know what ya think! :D

Disclaimer: You think I'd be writing fan fiction if I owned Eureka and it's characters? I think not! Don't own a thing.

* * *

Part Five

Lupo rushed through the bushes, jumping over the fence as she tried to keep Darren in her sights. He was fast… very fast. She could barely breathe, and she could already feel her muscles tightening up. She ignored the pain and continued on, feeling her heart pounding from the strenuous activity. This is what she lived for! She didn't have to think about equations, science, or problem solving. A suspect was on the run and she was going to capture him. She should have brought a bigger gun. Jo watched him turn out into the street and immediately followed until she saw him jumping into a car. She was still too far away. She wouldn't be able to stop him in time. "Damn it!" she shouted as he started the car. Jo pulled up her weapon and aimed, shooting at the car as it drove off. "Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!" she shouted, running back the way she'd come to get her own car. She watched Darren Milton drive off, paying close attention to his tags just in case. This was not turning out to be a good day for her….

* * *

Allison had been busy briefing Eva Thorne on the case when she'd gotten a phone call. "Excuse me," she said, pulling the phone out, noticing Lupo's name on the caller ID. "Jo, can this wait? I'm in a meeting with Ms. Thorne."

"_Allison, I think we're on to something big! Zane's been going through the case files from Carter's investigation of who's been stealing GD equipment. He suspected Forrester was getting help, and I believe I've found the other person involved. His name is Doctor Darren Milton!"_ the Deputy shouted into the phone.

Blake frowned, wondering just exactly what she was doing and why she was breathing so hard. "Milton? He works in the shipping department. You think he's involved in all this? Are you certain?"

There was a brief pause on the other end. _"Pretty darn! I went to his house to ask him some questions and he made a run for it. I'm in my car pursuing him as we speak. I need you to meet me back at the station! When I bring him in I thought you might want to be there when I question him!"_

"Right," said Allison, relieved to finally have something. "I'll meet you at the station!" She hung up her phone and turned to look at Thorne, not even bothering to hide her relieved smile. "We've got something…."

* * *

Oh he was good… very good. Jo made another sharp turn, following the red Saturn down the street heading out of Eureka. There was forest on either side of the road, which was surprisingly busy. Jo did her best to weave in and out of traffic, following closely behind Milton's car. He wasn't going to lose her that easy. Lupo smiled as he tried to get over into another lane only to get hit from the side. He immediately spun out and Jo slammed on her breaks as he was run off the road, hitting a tree nearby. Jo jumped out of her car, pulling out her gun as she rushed toward Milton's now damaged car, pointing it at him as he fell out of the car in a daze. "Hands above your head! Now!" she ordered. Milton looked up at her and sighed, doing as he was told. "You really, really shouldn't have run…" she told him as she pulled out her handcuffs, with a smug smile.

* * *

He'd been sleeping for awhile and showed no signs of waking anytime soon. The pain killer was working well, even relieving some of his symptoms. Nathan leaned back against the wall, under the blanket with a sigh. With one last glance at Jack, he moved further under the covers, pulling something out of his sleeve, peeking underneath. It was a simple tool, nothing too important, but with it he'd be able to make his plan of escape a reality. He'd slipped it into his sleeve when Forrester wasn't looking. He'd done it twice before, collecting what he'd need to make a small explosive device strong enough to render Forrester unconscious when exposed to a certain kind of radiation. All he needed was a few more days and it'd be finished. The calibration was off, which was exactly why he'd needed the tool now in his hands.

He'd been working on it while Carter slept. He wasn't quite ready to expose his plans just yet, and he knew in Jack's condition he didn't need more things to worry about. He just hoped it worked. If he screwed up, if he got something wrong it could completely ruin his chances of escaping. He had to be careful. Nathan froze as Jack groaned in his sleep, moving over on his back. Stark frowned, looking down at him. He was sweating, probably had a fever. Stark resting his hand against Jack's forehead… he felt a little warm. His hair was slicked against his forehead, and Nathan couldn't resist brushing the short hairs back. He didn't know what was going to happen, if his plan would work, but he had to try.

* * *

Zane raised an eyebrow in amusement as he watched his girlfriend practically man-handle Doctor Darren Milton, dragging him into the station. Milton's hands were cuffed behind his back with Jo grabbing his arm, pushing him along roughly. He knew it was sick, but he never got tired of seeing her play GI Joe. It had certainly done wonders for their sex life. Jo pushed Milton into the cell, closing the doors behind him. Zane's smile grew when Jo turned to face him. "Put up a fight, did he?" he asked despite knowing the answer.

Lupo narrowed her eyes at him. "When you said extremely friendly, you could have warned me that they were lovers."

Zane shrugged. "I thought you liked surprises," he teased playfully.

Jo shook her head, sitting on her desk, looking a little out of breath. "For a scientist he has very powerful legs," she told him, as Darren Milton took a seat on his cot, angrily.

He almost laughed as he imagined Jo chasing Milton down. She'd probably tackled him… that is if she'd gotten the chance. "Yes well, so do you… and I speak from experience," he told her, unable to resist a little harmless flirting.

Jo rolled her eyes just as Doctor Blake entered the station. "Jo, you were able to apprehend him, I see."

Lupo nodded, taking a deep breath. "It wasn't easy."

Allison raised an eyebrow at that, before looking at Darren. "We need you to supply us with information, Doctor Milton… about Ethan Forrester."

"I'm not telling you a thing! Do you really think I'd betray Ethan like that?! You'll never find him!" fought Milton.

"He kidnapped Sheriff Carter, and Doctor Stark! You will tell us what you know!" shouted Jo, walking towards the bars.

Allison took a step forward, resting a calming hand on Lupo's shoulder. Zane watched quietly from Sheriff Carter's desk. He knew how important it was to Jo that they find Carter and Stark. He'd learned to accept the close relationship between her and Carter… that of partners, friends, and family. He'd once been jealous of their relationship, but as time had passed he'd realized just how stupid those feelings had been. Besides, Carter's interests obviously lied elsewhere, though Zane still hadn't quite figured that one out. Most believed he had feelings for Allison, while the rest believed he harbored secret feelings for Stark. Zane was still on the fence. "Darren, it's important. Forrester is planning something, something big… and potentially dangerous. Do you know what he was using the equipment you helped him steal for?"

Milton shook his head. "He said it was for some project he was working on… something big that would change the world. He said he needed me-"

"That project is possibly the worst weapon ever created… capable of wiping billions of people off the face of the Earth," Zane interrupted. They were getting nowhere.

Milton stood, glaring angrily at Zane. "Liar! Ethan's a good man! He wouldn't do that! His work is meant to help people, but Thorne wouldn't even give him a chance! She was going to fire him! I couldn't let that happen! This is his chance to make a difference!"

"Darren, you don't even know what he's working on. We've been going through his files. He's working on a nano tech virus… a deadly virus," said Allison.

"I don't believe you!"

Zane sighed. He had a feeling Forrester had been keeping Milton in the dark about his plans. He'd probably just used him… just a tool in his grand plans. If they could find a way to convince Milton of the truth maybe they could get Darren to talk. "Ummm… I'll be right back."

Jo turned a confused look on her face. "Uh, excuse me? Where the hell are you going?" she asked, walking away from the bars to face Zane. Zane stood, grabbing his coat before turning to look at Jo.

"He's not going to believe us until he sees proof. Proof, I can do. Just keep him talking. I'll explain later," he whispered, giving her a playful wink before he rushed out the door, keys in hand. He needed to get to GD… and fast!

* * *

"Checkmate," Zoe said with a smug smile, leaning back in her chair.

Lucas sighed. "Damn…" he muttered, staring at the chess board as he tried to figure out how she'd done it. She was way too good. "You really are amazing," he told her with a small smile, flirting just a bit.

Zoe blushed, rolling her eyes as she began to set up the board once more. Lucas did the same, watching Pilar walk back over to the table with their drinks. "Shut up."

"Beat you again, huh?" Pilar asked, handing Lucas his root beer. Lucas narrowed his eyes at her. Pilar just gave him an innocent smile, annoying him further. Pilar handed Zoe an orange juice. "I'll be back… you two play nice," she told them with a wink, leaving for the bathroom.

Lucas watched her leave before looking at Zoe, watching her start the game, moving her pawn up two spaces. He immediately moved his pawn one space. He knew he needed to talk to Zoe. It was obvious she needed to talk, and if she was going to talk to anyone it should be her boyfriend. "So… Pilar told me you were having nightmares," he whispered, trying to jump right into the conversation.

Zoe frowned, looking at the chess board as she moved another pawn. "Lucas, I don't want to talk about it."

Lucas moved another pawn. "Zoe, you need to talk to someone. You're father's been kidnapped, and right now we have no idea what's going on. You've got to be worried," he pushed.

"Of course I'm worried, Lucas!" Zoe snapped. "You think it's easy for me to just sit here playing chess while my father may be hurt or worse?! I'm terrified, and I have no idea what to do or how to handle all this, but I'm doing the best I can!"

Lucas sighed, looking away.

"Lucas… I'm sorry-"

"I just want to be there for you, Zoe," he interrupted. "You mean something to me. You're my girlfriend, and I care about you. I just want to help," Lucas told her, wanting her to understand. He would do anything to help her deal.

Zoe shook her head, unable to look him in the eye. "My Dad was a Marshall, Lucas. He's been in dangerous situations before… some worse than others. The worst happened when I was about ten. He got shot… almost died. It was the worst day of my life… and every time something bad happens to my father I can't help thinking about what happened seven years ago. I saw him in the hospital, and I'd never been so close to losing him. Sometimes I have nightmares about it… but it's nothing. Jo _will_ find him and everything will be fine."

Lucas reached for her hand, holding it in his. He was about to speak, wanting so badly to comfort her when Pilar joined them once more. She gave him a questioning look and he just smiled sadly. At least he'd finally gotten her to talk. "If you ever need to talk," he whispered.

Zoe just nodded as Pilar sat down. "Okay… what'd I miss? Beat him yet?"

Lucas rolled his eyes.

* * *

He'd been resting, enjoying the warmth that surrounded him, which was immediately ripped from him as hands pulled him roughly from his bed. He was shocked awake, wincing in pain at being grabbed. Jack could see Nathan being pulled from the cot as well, just as surprised to be awoken. The men that were holding them both were strong, and in Jack's weakened state he couldn't even struggle. "What the hell?!" shouted Stark, struggling hard, though only managing to probably cause himself bruising. One of the men punched Nathan in the face, making him bleed and Jack immediately tried to pull away from his attacker's grasp.

A second later Forrester walked through the door, smiling. "You know, you disappoint me, Stark. I thought you were smarter than this. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" Jack frowned, unsure as to what Ethan was talking about. He looked over at Nathan, who was glaring at Forrester angrily. Ethan looked over at Jack, cocking his head to the side as he read Carter's look correctly. "Oh don't tell me you didn't explain your little plan to lover boy here," he spoke, taking a few steps over to Jack. Carter frowned at the name Forrester gave him, but chose not to focus on it just then.

"He's not involved in this, Forrester!" Nathan shouted.

Ethan turned around to look at Nathan. "His life is in your hands, Stark… and you betrayed my trust," said Forrester, walking over to the cot, pulling a few tools and other small pieces of equipment from underneath. "So tell me why I shouldn't kill you both right now?"

"What the hell is that?" Jack asked. He'd searched every space in the room the moment he'd woken up days before and he'd never seen that before, which meant it must have been brought in by Stark. Obviously he'd smuggled it in.

Forrester smiled. "This looks like the workings of a small explosive… planning something, Nathan?" he asked. Jack surprised, wondering why Stark hadn't told him about his plan. He wasn't an idiot… he knew the room was probably bugged, but there had to be other ways Nathan could have told him. He could have helped… covered for him… done something. Jack looked over at Stark, who immediately turned away. Forrester walked over to Stark, punching him in the gut and Nathan immediately doubled over. Jack winced, looking away briefly, unable to watch Nathan being physically attacked when he could do nothing to stop it. "You really think I wouldn't find out? You continue to underestimate me, Stark."

"I did what I had to do," was all Nathan would say in his defense. "Did you really expect me not to try to escape?"

Ethan smiled. "Of course I expected you to escape… Stark. You don't believe I'll stay true to my word and save your precious Sheriff."

Stark's eyes narrowed. "Did you really expect me to help you possibly kill billions of people?" he asked with barely controlled rage.

Jack's eyes widened, and once again Forrester noticed. Why hadn't Stark told him what he'd been working on with Forrester? "I take it you didn't know… eh Sheriff?" questioned Ethan. He shook his head. "Nathan, Nathan, Nathan… you couldn't even tell him what you were helping me with? Thanks to you I've managed to fix one of the main problems with my nanoids. You've given me more control than I was ever able to attain before, and thanks to you they will be far more effective." Forrester turned to look at Jack. "You see Sheriff, Doctor Stark has been helping me perfect a bio-weapon… the same one I injected in you which is currently replicating in your body as we speak… slowly killing you."

Jack didn't want to believe it, couldn't believe that Nathan would be capable of doing such a thing, even to save him… especially to save him. Ethan had to be lying. Jack stared at Stark, waiting for him to deny Forrester's words, but he said nothing, simply looking at the floor. "Tell me he's lying. Not even you would be capable of something like that…."

Nathan refused to look up at him. "I had no choice. I did it to save your life."

"Save my life? And risk billions of lives in the process?!" Jack shouted, unable to control himself. He was pissed, couldn't believe Stark hadn't even bothered to tell him what he was doing.

"I did what I had to do!" Stark fought back. "The place was bugged. I had no choice. I was planning on an escape, getting us both out of here-"

"And if it didn't work?! You didn't even tell me your plans! I should have known from the very beginning."

Forrester folded his arms. "Now, now… as much as I enjoy lover's quarrels, this isn't why I'm here," he interrupted, nodding at one of the guards. Before Jack could say a word he was thrown to the ground hard, getting the wind knocked out of him. Again Nathan struggled, managing to get away and immediately bent over to help Jack, but Carter shrugged him off. He didn't like being kept in the dark, even if Stark was only trying to protect him. Carter winces when Stark is thrown to the ground, kicked in the ribs. Nathan grunted in pain, closing his eyes tight. Jack doesn't want to see Stark hurt, but he kept help his anger. "Big mistake, Stark… very big mistake," Forrester said, walking out of the cell, being followed by his guards.

Stark cursed under his breath, sitting up as he wiped blood from his lip. "Listen Carter, I'm sorry… I should have told you-"

Jack didn't know what to say to the other man, wasn't quite sure what to do. He felt like shit… would be dead in a few days and it seemed the only plan they'd had, had just been found out. He wasn't ready to forgive Nathan Stark just yet… he was pissed. "Yeah," he whispered, pushing himself off the floor and back onto the cot with the last amount of strength he'd had left. "Guess it doesn't matter now…."

To Be Continued


	6. Chapter 6

Out of Time

By Andie O'Neill

Rating: T/ R

Genre: Romance, Angst, Alternate Universe, (slight) Action/Adventure

Pairing: Nathan/Jack, Lucas/Zoe, Zane/Jo, (Mentions of Nathan/Allison)

Warnings: Slash, (small hints) Sex, Violence, Language

Spoilers: Season Three

Summary: Jack's life is on the line when he and Nathan are kidnapped by a scientist bent on creating a weapon more powerful than anything ever built… and Nathan's going to help whether he wants to or not.

A/N: Sorry it's so short! I'll try to make the next chap longer! Hope you enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: You think I'd be writing fan fiction if I owned Eureka and it's characters? I think not! Don't own a thing.

* * *

Part Six

"No, no mate… I'm tellin' ya, this guy knows nano technology. That wouldn't destroy the little buggers. My nanoids were made as a second skin for wounds, imitate living cells… it wasn't meant to take over the world. Fargo's little mind computer device. This is different. Doctor Forrester created a single nanoid with the ability to harvest the body in order to replicating, creating organic hybrids… which is exactly why he couldn't control them in tests. If my nanoids hadn't been tapped into by Doctor Stark they never would have gone rogue… they would have stuck to their original programming," explained Taggart in his thick Australian accent.

Henry nodded his understanding. "If that's true we may be able to use that weakness against Forrester… perhaps use a similar device to tap into his nanoids the way Fargo's mind-computer device tapped into your nanoids," theorized Henry, a plan slowly forming in his mind.

"Brilliant! Hey, we should get Fargo in on this. He might be able to help us rig something up!" Jim said, excited at the chance of saving the day once more.

Henry was just about to agree with Taggart's suggestion when he heard Jim's watch begin to beep. Deacon gave the Australian a curious look.

"Oh, sorry mate. That's just my alarm… it's feeding time for my two Diaemus Youngi," he explained. Upon seeing Henry's blank stare he sighed. "Also known as the White winged Vampire bat."

"Vampire bats? You're keeping Vampire bats?"

Taggart shrugged. "Long story… let's just say it's a new research project."

"Uh… Taggart, I hate to ask, but you aren't trying to do something risky like make real vampires, bind bat DNA with human DNA because I think Eureka's had enough. Carter still hasn't forgiven you for your last research project… the facility was covered in slime," Henry reminded him.

"Naw mate, perfectly safe! Thorne approved… no worries," he assured the scientist.

Henry just nodded, not quite sure whether to believe him or not. Just then Zane Donovan rushed into GD, breathing heavily. "Henry! I need those video diaries Forrester made!" he spoke quickly, so much so that it took Henry a moment to understand the man. Zane turned to look at Taggart. "Uh… hi," he greeted awkwardly. There was still a bit of tension between Taggart and Zane that seemed vaguely similar to Carter and Stark… though admittedly without the sexual tension. Henry still found it amusing regardless.

Taggart just gave a nod in return. "I'm off… I have two very hungry Diaemus Youngi waiting for me!" he said, walking out of the lab.

Zane gave Henry a confused look. "Vampire bats," Deacon explained.

"Ah… so how about those video diaries? Jo's got somebody in custody that might be able to lead us to where ever Forrester's hiding Carter and Stark, but we need to prove to him that Forrester's not the man he thinks he is first."

Henry nodded in understanding. "Right, downloading them now," Henry assured him.

* * *

Jack had spent the last hour in silence replaying his little fight with Stark, not quite sure what to make of it. It had taken him a while to realize Forrester had called it a 'lover's quarrel.' In fact, Forrester seemed curiously intent on calling him and Stark a couple, though Jack wasn't quite sure what that was about. He'd also realized that although he felt he had every right to react the way he had, in the end Stark had only been trying to save both their asses. Was he really going to spend what possibly might be the last few days of his life angry with Nathan Stark? He just couldn't help getting into arguments with the scientist. Still… Jack didn't want the deaths of possibly billions of people on his conscious, even if Nathan had been planning an escape while he'd been helping Forrester. It seemed so easy for Stark to bend his morals, and Jack just couldn't get past that. Henry had been right. So many times GD's scientists created noble ideas that were only turned into weapons. From what Jack could gather, Forrester was working on some type of nanoid technology, a word that sounded very familiar… because Taggart had made something similar, only his had been created to heal… not kill.

Of course, in the end things hadn't gone so well with those nanoids, it had been a brilliant idea… a noble idea as Henry liked to call them. Now it seemed to have been turned into just another weapon, as if they didn't have enough already. Jack just couldn't believe Stark had agreed to be a part of it. He'd never expected Stark to go to such heights just to save him… he wasn't sure he could believe it. Since the moment Nathan had met Jack he'd done nothing but tear him down… cut him with sarcasm, and belittle his intelligence. How could that same man then turn around and go to incredible lengths just to save his former rival's life. It just didn't make any sense. Jack turned to look at Nathan who sat on the floor, back against the wall holding his ribs. Jack had a feeling if his ribs weren't broken, they were at least bruised. Carter was too weak to do much about it. He could barely stand without watching his knees shake. He hated feeling so helpless. He was going out of his mind, trying to push images of his daughter from his mind. This couldn't be his end… it just couldn't. He couldn't die this way… in some damned cell underground.

Jack sighed, running a frustrated hand through his hair, rubbing the back of his head. "Do you think… if it hadn't been for Allison, that you and I would have been friends?" he found himself asking Nathan, seemingly out of nowhere. It was a question that had weighted heavily on him for a long time. If he was going to die, he might as well get an answer.

Nathan opened his eyes, looking up at Jack from the other side of the room. "What?"

Jack looked back at Stark, clearing his throat. "If it hadn't been for Allison… our little love triangle… do you think things would have been different between the two of us?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow, a crack of a smile breaking through. "I doubt it," he answered honestly.

Jack shook his head. Figured. "I should have known you'd say that," he mumbled.

Stark sighed dramatically. "We enjoy fighting with each other too much… hell, half the time Allison doesn't even have to be in the room. Don't tell me you've never noticed. Maybe in the beginning it was about Allison, but… that was before…" he drifted off, and suddenly Jack was curious.

"Before what?"

Nathan shook his head. "Before we realized the spark between us has nothing to do with Allison."

Jack wasn't exactly sure what to make of Nathan's comment. It almost seemed like he was hinting to the fact that there was something romantic between them. He must be delusional. The Nathan Stark he knew would never admit to such feelings, and it seemed even more likely that he would have them in the first place. Either he was dreaming, or his replicating nanoids were making him hear things. "Then what _does_ it have to do with?" He couldn't resist.

Stark frowned, looking away. "How about we postpone this conversation to a time when we're not stuck in this damn cell?"

Carter wasn't ready to give up that easy. "I might not live to see the outside of this cell, Stark. Just answer the question. What do you have to lose?" He wasn't sure why his heart was beating so fast, wasn't sure why his mouth was suddenly so dry. What was he expecting? Stark to profess his undying love for the Sheriff? Yeah, _that_ was going to happen…. And the door was going to magically open on its own too.

Stark paused for a moment before pushing up, grunting in pain, obviously irritating his ribs. Slowly he walked over to the cot and sat beside Jack, facing him. "Come on, Carter… don't pretend you've never noticed, because we both know you have. It's been going on for over a year now, maybe longer. Our interactions haven't exactly been subtle."

Carter rolled his eyes. "The only thing I've noticed about our interactions is the fighting." He couldn't shake the feeling that he was lying to Nathan… that maybe he did know what the scientist was talking about but refused to admit it.

"Come on Carter… even you can't be _that_ clueless," teased Stark, with a small smirk.

Jack narrowed his eyes at the scientist. "I got it, Stark… so there's something else going on there that we've been avoiding. Something beneath the surface that maybe we've been denying. So what?" His heart was beating faster and faster. He wasn't sure what to do with his hands anymore as the tension grew between them. Maybe they should have saved the conversation for later, but then again… would they have ever had the conversation if they'd pushed it aside?

"So it's there, and it's obviously not going away. People notice it, Carter. It took Forrester all of five seconds to realize something was between us, and he used it to his advantage. He knew I wouldn't let you die… couldn't let you die," Stark pressed.

Jack looked away… suddenly uncomfortable. "You were right… we should have saved this for another time."

Nathan was quiet for a while before he moved from the cot, walking to the other side of the room, facing the wall. "Or maybe we shouldn't mention it at all," he finally said.

Carter wasn't sure what to make of the feeling of panic in his gut that was telling him he'd screwed up. After his divorce with Abby Jack had begun to wonder if he'd ever feel something as strong as the feelings he'd felt for his ex-wife. He'd felt some strong feelings for Stark… always had, but putting an actual name to those feelings had proved impossible. He incited strong feelings, and that was as far as Jack could explain it. Whether those feelings meant anything romantic, Carter wasn't sure. He'd never really felt anything like it before. With Allison the connection was there, and he enjoyed the banter and flirting, but there was always something missing. He'd just never known what it was… until now. There was no spark, no passion. It was nice, and fun, but it lacked strong feelings like how he'd felt for Abby… how he obviously felt for Stark. Still, did he really want to go down that road again? If it hadn't worked with Abby, what made him think it would work better with Stark? He couldn't even be honest about his feelings with the scientist. Stark was so similar to Abby… challenged him the way Abby always had. She'd been strong, and smart, and absolutely stubborn. Nathan was no different. Was it really a good idea to jump into another relationship that seemed so similar to the one that failed? He undergone enough the first time, and had the emotional baggage to prove it. He was terrified of letting the walls go down with the man before him. On the other hand, could he really let his own fears control him? Would he rather be alone for the rest of his life? He needed to take a chance, and hope to god he'd be okay. Hell, chances were he wouldn't live long anyway. He might as well die honest and courageous rather than a gutless coward who couldn't even face his own feelings. Jack licked his lips. "You know Zoe always liked you."

Stark turned around, a confused look on his face. "Uh… really?" he asked, obvious not sure where Jack was going with his comment.

Jack smiled. "I heard her talking on the phone with Pilar once about us. She said something… something I never quite forgot. It kinda shook me. She said if you and I weren't so stubborn we'd probably have 'hooked up' the moment we met. She always bugs me about Allison… but it was the first time I'd ever heard her mention the idea of me and you."

Nathan took a step forward. "And it bothered you?"

Carter shook his head. "It surprised me… yeah, but it didn't bother me. She's always been good at reading people, like her mother. Always drove me crazy. Sometimes I think her gift makes her grow up too fast. I could sit here and tell you I've never felt something… but it'd only be a lie," he whispered. He wasn't sure what to do. He'd just put himself out there, and now the ball was in Stark's court.

Nathan said nothing, simply walked back over to Carter, standing before him, his eyes focused on Carter's, pupils blown wide and Jack could feel his skin tingle under Stark's gaze. Stark leaned down, moving to sit on the cot, but continued to say nothing. Jack was growing impatient.

"Say somethi-"

Suddenly Nathan's lips were on Jack's, surprising the Sheriff. It took him a moment to kiss Nathan back, reacting to the scientist's touch as Nathan's hands moved to gently hold Jack's face, deepening the kiss. All thought left Carter immediately as he closed his eyes and just enjoyed the feelings that flowed through him. Kissing Nathan was nothing like kissing Allison. He could feel the sparks so strong, so powerful he felt dizzy… and he knew it had nothing to do with his current condition. His heart was pounding so hard he was sure it was actually echoing in the small room, and slowly the Sheriff let go, wrapping his arms around Nathan. If he was going to die, he'd rather die in Stark's arms than alone. Suddenly nothing else mattered. It felt right… kissing Nathan. Suddenly it didn't matter that he might not live past the week, or that he'd been kidnapped, or that their one escape plan had been exposed. All that mattered was Nathan's lips on his. One kiss turned into two, which turned into three, and it seemed that neither had control anymore. Jack forced himself to break the kiss as he felt his lungs struggle for oxygen. He rested his forehead against Nathan's, panting hard. He tried to think of something to say… anything, but it seemed not only was he breathless, but he was also speechless. Nathan smiled. "If we are going to die down here… I didn't want to go never having done that," Stark whispered to Jack.

Carter couldn't think of anything to say, so he decided not to bother trying. Instead he leaned back for another passionate kiss. He wasn't that good with words anyway….

To Be Continued


	7. Chapter 7

Out of Time

By Andie O'Neill

Rating: T/ R

Genre: Romance, Angst, Alternate Universe, (slight) Action/Adventure

Pairing: Nathan/Jack, Lucas/Zoe, Zane/Jo, (Mentions of Nathan/Allison)

Warnings: Slash, (small hints) Sex, Violence, Language

Spoilers: Season Three

Summary: Jack's life is on the line when he and Nathan are kidnapped by a scientist bent on creating a weapon more powerful than anything ever built… and Nathan's going to help whether he wants to or not.

A/N: Hopefully this is a little bit better as far as length! I wanted to give you guys a longer one, since the last two were kinda short! Enjoy... and try not to hate me too much! (There may be a bit of a cliffhanger, just a bit of warning!) ^_^

Disclaimer: You think I'd be writing fan fiction if I owned Eureka and it's characters? I think not! Don't own a thing.

* * *

Part Seven

Darren Milton sat in front of the computer staring at the man he'd trusted with his very life as he spoke on and on about his findings as if it were just another science project, and not a weapon that could potentially kill millions if not billions. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He refused to believe what he was seeing. It had to be a trick. Ethan simply wasn't capable of something so terrible, so destructive. Another video diary appeared and Ethan reported on the date and time… three months ago. He reported on the progress of his experiment, going into the animal trial, a mouse that he'd infected with his nanoids. Darren had to force himself not to look away when the video showed the sickly creature in its last stages of life. Ethan showed no sympathy. He seemed almost excited about his progress. Darren felt his stomach flip and he couldn't take anymore. He wanted to throw up. "Turn it off… please just… turn it off," he said and watched as Allison Blake stopped the video.

"He lied to you," Lupo told him. "He lied to you to get you to help him. Do you really want to protect him after what you just saw, Darren?"

He didn't know what to do… or say. He'd been with Ethan for so long, remembered so many moments between them that he'd once treasured. When he closed his eyes he could remember waking in Ethan's arms each morning, enjoying the warmth his lover gave him… sometimes he would wake up to see Ethan staring at him, watching him sleep. How could that man be a monster? How could the man that had spent hours talking about how much he wanted children, how much he loved science, be the same man creating something so horrible?

"Please Darren, he's already kidnapped Sheriff Carter and Doctor Stark… and we have no idea what he might be planning for them. Their lives could be at risk," said Ms. Blake, her eyes betraying her desperation.

Darren knew he had a choice to make, but he was at a loss. It was too much to take in, and he just couldn't believe what he had seen. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be the same man. "Take me back to my cell," he finally spoke, his voice quiet as he refused to look any of them in the eye. "It's been a long day…."

"Milton… Forrester is creating a bio-weapon-" Zane begun.

"No!" Darren shouted, unable to hear anymore. "Ethan's a good man! I won't betray him! He's not a murderer."

The three around him were quiet, till finally the Deputy pulled out her handcuffs. "Have it your way, but eventually you're going to have to face the truth, Darren. Forrester's not the man you thought he was."

Darren simply closed his eyes, allowing Lupo to cuff him. Perhaps she was right, but he wasn't ready to believe that just yet. He needed time to think… to process what he'd seen. He just wasn't ready to believe the man he was in love with could be the man in those diaries….

* * *

_The hospital was crowded with people with various ailments, some moaning in pain so loud that Zoe couldn't stop the tears from flowing as fear gripped her. She didn't know what was happening. Nurses and Doctors were running all around… her mother was yelling at a man who wouldn't let her see her husband… Zoe's Dad. He was calm, his voice leveled, though Zoe couldn't understand how in such a horrible place. Her mom was getting angrier and angrier, desperate to know what was happening, but Zoe didn't understand. Where was her father? Was he okay? Why was he in such a scary place? She wanted to see her father. The strange man seemed so preoccupied with her mother that Zoe easily slipped past, hearing the shouts grow louder as she opened the door to a hallway filled with people running back and forth. Zoe watched followed one woman, watching her turn the corner and rush into a room that seemed the reason for all the screaming. Zoe followed, staying out of sight until she reached to room, her eyes widening as she recognized the man lying in bed. There was a tube going down his throat connected to a strange balloon-like thing. A nurse was squeezing it, then letting it fill with air, squeezing it once more. A Doctor stood over Zoe's father, his face grim as he shouted orders to the others._

"_We're losing him!" he shouted, holding strange paddles connected to a device. "CLEAR!" he shouted, and Zoe jumped as the Doctor put them on her father's chest, making his body jerk._

"_He's got a rhythm, but he's losing a lot of blood!" one of the nurses said, and suddenly Zoe noticed the blood pouring out of a hole in her father's chest. She tried to keep quiet, her heart beating wildly in her chest. She felt sick, light-headed. She wanted to know what was happening? What were they doing to her father?_

"_We need to get him to surgery!" said the Doctor, and suddenly everything slowed down as the Doctor turned around, finally noticing her standing in the corner. "What the hell is she doing here?!"_

_Zoe wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't move. Everything was getting blurry. "Dad?" she whispered before her legs finally gave out and she fell to the floor. After that, everything went dark._

"Zoe?" Zoe gasped, opening her eyes as she was awoken from the dream. She couldn't breath, couldn't speak, could only stare, tears escaping her eyes. Pilar looked down at her, a worried look on her face. "It was just a dream, Zoe! It's going to be okay."

"It wasn't just a dream!" she shouted, making her friend jump, but Zoe couldn't calm down. She needed to get away. She needed to escape. She couldn't get enough air in her lungs. The nightmare washed over her, wreaking havoc on her emotions and she couldn't stop the tears.

"Zoe… it's going to be okay. You got to believe me," Pilar whispered, resting a hand on Zoe's arm, but Zoe jerked it away.

She moved off the bed quickly, shaking her head, fighting back the sob in her throat. "It's not going to be okay! Not until they find my Dad!" she shouted and rushed into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

"Zoe!" Pilar shouted from the other side, pounding on the door. "Zoe please!"

"Just go!" Zoe ran a hand through her hair, aware in the back of her mind that she was probably having a panic attack, but not giving a damn. She dropped to the floor and closed her eyes, forcing herself to take deeper breaths while she tried to chase the image of her father in that damn hospital from her mind. She didn't know what else to do. For the first time since that day seven years ago she was terrified she might never see her father again, and she just didn't know what to do….

* * *

It was getting late, but Jack couldn't seem to sleep. Two days… he had two days left before the nanoids as Forrester called them killed him. Two days. It was either get rescued or die, and the odds didn't look good. He was supposed to be strong, hold onto hope, but Jack just couldn't get over the fact that he might not last the week. He couldn't stop thinking about Zoe. They'd gotten so close over the last few years, and he hated the idea of her being hurt. He'd lost his mother early on in his life, and losing one's parent wasn't something he'd wish on anybody. It was a hard thing to go through, and Jack didn't want that for Zoe. She deserved to enjoy the last of her time as a teenager. She deserved to be happy, and finish school in the town she loved. She deserved everything in the world, and it killed Jack that he might not be able to give her that. He'd sworn to himself the day she was born that he would do anything for her, that she would be more important to him than anything else. He wanted to see her graduate. He wanted to see her get married, have children, live a great life. As much as he complained about her growing up, it hurt worse to think that he might never get the chance to see it happen.

Then there was Nathan. Jack wasn't really sure where they stood. Sure, they'd kissed… a lot, but did that mean something? Was it Stark's way of saying goodbye, or was it hope that they might survive to have a future? What would happen if they were saved? Would Nathan would to pursue something? Would he rather be with his wife? Did it really matter? He had two fucking days left. Had their kiss meant anything at all? Jack didn't know what to think. It was obvious there was something between them, some spark that refused to go away. Although the kiss had answered a lot of questions, in the end it had also added a million more, and Jack wasn't sure what to do. He was dying, and he had no idea what to do with himself.

It wasn't the first time he'd faced death. As a US Marshall he'd faced death more times than he could count. His job had never been easy or safe, and there had been times when he'd been sure he wouldn't live to see another day… every time a gun was pointed in his face, or a knife. He'd accepted long ago what came with the job. As Sheriff of Eureka the danger hadn't just gone away. Usually he didn't have a chance to contemplate the fact that he was about to die… too busy trying to save the world to think about it. Now it was all Jack could think about, and he felt like he was going to go insane. He hated not knowing his own fate… whether he'd live to see his daughter again, see his friends again.

Nathan tightened his hold on Jack, pulling him close, flush against him. Jack closed his eyes, smiling. "Sleep Jack," Stark muttered into Carter's ear, his voice heavily with sleep.

"Okay…" Jack whispered, pushing away all the fears and worries and just taking in the moment. Whatever happened… whether he lived or died… he wasn't alone. It didn't quiet his fears, but it was enough. Some people didn't even get that much….

* * *

"What are we going to do? We tried everything we could to get Milton to talk and he's not budging… not when he saw the evidence clear as day!" said Allison, arms folded in frustration.

They were all worn out, exhausting every option to find their missing Sheriff and Doctor Stark. There had to be some way… something they could do. Jo wasn't ready to give up, not with so many people counting on her… including Zoe. She couldn't help wondering what Carter would do in such a situation. Milton saw the videos. He knew they were telling him the truth, so why would he still refuse to help them? Lupo looked up. "Let me talk to him," she whispered.

Zane shook his head. "We already tried that. This guy isn't budging… we need to figure out another way, make a deal with him or something."

Lupo frowned, determined to save Carter and Doctor Stark by any means necessary. "Let me talk to him alone… I know I can reach him." Jo looked over at Allison, then back at Zane. "Just let me try."

Allison seemed to understand what she was trying to convey and nodded in the affirmative. "Okay, see what you can get out of him. I need to check on Henry's progress anyway. He and Taggart have been busy trying to find a way to counteract this nano virus just in case."

Jo smiled, relieved. "Thanks."

"Just get him to tell us where our men are," said Allison, looking at the man lying in his cot, then left the station.

Zane gave her a small smile, kissing Jo's forehead. "Kick his ass, Jo," he told her and left them alone to talk.

Jo stood by the door for a moment, trying to get her thoughts together before she turned around and walked over to the bars, grabbing a chair to sit down. She took a deep breath before starting, realizing it was the only way to get to the root of the matter. "Listen Darren, I realize how hard this is for you. You thought you could trust Ethan, and now we're asking you to believe that the man you've been with, are in love with lied to you."

Darren opened his eyes slowly, staring at the ceiling. "Have you ever been in love, Deputy?" he asked softly.

Jo paused for a moment, her first inclination being to lie, but she knew that would get her nowhere. The first face that popped into her head was Callister. Although he'd turned out to be a robot, to Jo he would always be so much more. He'd been the first guy Jo had ever really fallen in love with. She remembered the bliss of waking up in his arms, laughing with him, flirting with him, kissing him. They'd shared so much together, and although in the end half the stories he'd told her about his childhood had turned out to be lies, she would never forget how much she'd treasured those moments they'd spent together just talking. She'd loved him so much that even when all the evidence seemed to point that Callister was a criminal she'd refused to believe it. She also remembered how much it had hurt when he left Eureka, leaving her behind without even saying goodbye. Then, she thought of Zane. Their relationship was still fairly new, but Jo could tell they had something special… something different. She didn't know if it would last, but she did know she was falling in love with him, and she'd never been so terrified in her life. Her relationship with Callister had been so much easier than what she shared with Zane. They often fought, and sometimes it seemed like they'd never get it together, but in the end one of them always came back to try again. Neither seemed ready to give up what they had, and that was the important thing. "Yes," she answered honestly.

Darren turned his head to look at her. "Then you know how it feels… like you're falling without a parachute. You can't control it, you can't stop it… you just spin out of control and hope somehow you don't hit the ground. There's no safe way to love someone… you just do, which is exactly why it's so terrifying."

Lupo couldn't help agreeing with Milton. Love was terrifying, and yet somehow extremely thrilling. It was like an addiction. Despite all the dangers, people still enjoyed the jump even if there'd be a bloody mess when it all ended. Not all love was that way… the lucky few that did manage to keep love together never hit the ground, though it certainly seemed rare. "You love Ethan, I know."

Milton sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "That man on the video… he's not the same man I fell in love with, spent my extra time with. He told me his dreams… and they never included a nano virus that could wipe out humanity in the blink of an eye."

Jo figured it was about time she told her own story… it's what Carter would have done. He would have done anything to save lives. "The first man I fell in love with… he used to tell me stories for hours about his family, his childhood… his dog. I used to love listening to him just talk. I loved him so much that even when things got bad and it looked like there was a chance he'd burned down a lab on purpose… I refused to believe it… even when I saw the evidence. He left Eureka soon after."

Darren frowned, turning around and sitting up in the cot. "So he did it? He burned down the lab?"

Lupo shook her head. "Nope… turned out Stark did to cover over the fact that my boyfriend was actually a robot," she told him, smiling for a moment to appreciate just how ridiculous it all sounded.

Milton raised an eyebrow in surprise. "A robot?" he questioned in disbelief.

Jo leaned back in her chair. "Still think you're the only person out there that's been lied to by someone they love?"

Finally he cracked a smile. "You're playing with me, right?"

Lupo didn't say a word, simply stared at him, daring him not to believe her.

The smile faded away slowly as he realized she wasn't joking. "Jesus...."

"Yeah," Jo whispered in agreement. After a moment she leaned forward once more, looking into Darren's eyes. "I have two friends that have gone missing, Darren. Sheriff Carter is a good man. He has a seventeen year old daughter that depends on him. He has a town that depends on him. Doctor Stark is a step father to a young boy. Those two men Forrester kidnapped… their lives may be in danger and I am willing to do whatever's necessary to bring them back safe and sound. I need you're help, Darren… please tell me where Forrester is," she requested, knowing she probably sounded a bit desperate, and hoping that it would only make him understand just what he was doing by protecting Ethan Forrester.

Darren stared at her for a moment. "You don't know what you're asking me to do. You're asking me to betray Ethan."

"I'm asking you to help me save lives."

Seconds seemed to turn into hours as she waited, holding her breath for him to answer her… to either agree or refuse. Darren looked away from her at the last moment, nodding. "Okay… I'll tell you where he is," he whispered.

Jo let out the breath she'd been holding, relieved. "Thank you, Darren."

* * *

He'd kissed Jack Carter the time before. It was the first thought he had as he reached consciousness once more. Nathan refused to open his eyes as he just contemplated that very thought, unsure how to react to what'd happened. On some level, Nathan had never really expected Carter to feel something back, despite his occasional flirting. Yet all that doubt had disappeared the moment he'd felt Jack kiss him back, running his hands through Nathan's hair, wanting more, groaning… the memory alone was enough to make Stark shiver. For a moment he'd forgotten all about Forrester and their current location. All he'd cared about was Jack, about how he felt against him, how amazing his mouth was, and how much he wanted to explore. Still, the exploring would have to wait until they could find another way out of their predicament… unless of course they were rescued, though the probability of that seemed bleak.

Nathan stretched out a bit, noticing for the first time that Jack was no longer beside him, and with a sigh he cracked his eyes open to see that indeed, the cot was empty. "Jack?" Stark frowned when he received no answer. "Jack?" Stark sat up in bed, looking around the room until finally he spotted his cellmate lying on his side near the toilet, a harsh cut over his right eye. Stark cursed under his breath, jumping out of bed as he rushed over to the Sheriff. "Jack?!" He couldn't be dead… they still had a few days left! Nathan felt for a pulse, relieved when he was sure Carter was still alive, then gently began to shake him. "Carter!" Nothing. He leaned down close, making sure he was still breathing. He cursed once more when he realized he was, but just barely. Nathan gently rolled Jack onto his back. "Come on, Jack! Wake up, damn it!" Nathan ripped part of his shirt without hesitation, wrapping it around Carter's head wound to stop the bleeding, worried he might have a concussion. "FORRESTER! FORRESTER!" he shouted, desperate to help Carter. "I'LL DO IT! I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! I NEED HELP DAMN IT!" He was practically screaming, hoping Forrester could hear.

Moments later the door opened, and Nathan looked up to see the man he'd been calling for, a smug smile on his face. "We've been monitoring him, Stark. He doesn't have much longer. The nanoids are attacking his lungs… making it hard for him to breathe."

Nathan stood up, rushing over to Forrester, grabbing his shirt, when he noticed the guards standing watch, ready to intervene. Forrester waved them back, obviously not worried. "Help him!"

Forrester, kept his gaze steady. "You're fortunate I still need you, Stark. Betray me again and Sheriff Carter will meet a far swifter end."

Stark let go of Ethan Forrester's shirt, backing away to look at Jack. "Just help him, Forrester!"

Forrester smiled, nodding to his men who immediately picked up the Sheriff. He then turned to look at Stark. "Follow me," he ordered.

Nathan wanted nothing more than to beat the man till his hands started bleeding, but he knew he had no other choice… Jack's life hung in the balance. He did as he was told.

To Be Continued


	8. Chapter 8

Out of Time

By Andie O'Neill

Rating: T/ R

Genre: Romance, Angst, Alternate Universe, (slight) Action/Adventure

Pairing: Nathan/Jack, Lucas/Zoe, Zane/Jo, (Mentions of Nathan/Allison)

Warnings: Slash, (small hints) Sex, Violence, Language

Spoilers: Season Three

Summary: Jack's life is on the line when he and Nathan are kidnapped by a scientist bent on creating a weapon more powerful than anything ever built… and Nathan's going to help whether he wants to or not.

A/N: Sorry this took so long, but I was having some serious issues with this chapter. There will probably be either one or two more chapters left, depending on how large I make the chapters. But anyway… enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: You think I'd be writing fan fiction if I owned Eureka and it's characters? I think not! Don't own a thing.

* * *

Part Eight

Darren walked alongside the Deputy, trying to keep calm as he ignored the voice in the back of his head reminding him that he was betraying the man he was supposed to be in love with. He couldn't just ignore the fact that lives were in jeopardy, and that Ethan had betrayed him first by lying to him. For all Darren knew, their whole relationship had been a lie. He wasn't sure why, but somehow his talk with Lupo had opened his eyes to the possibility that Ethan had never truly loved him in the first place. Even if he did, could Darren really let peoples lives be on his conscious. Before this moment the only real strike on his record had been a few unpaid parking tickets. Ethan had betrayed him first, and no matter how Darren felt about him… he couldn't let that go. He couldn't let people's lives be lost when it could have been prevented. Darren looked over at Lupo, unable to stop himself from frowning. He liked her. She was strong, confident, tough, and surprising. She was beautiful too, though there was a shyness about her beauty that he doubted most people saw. "Can I ask you something?" he spoke quietly to her, keeping in step beside her as they traveled through the woods of Eureka, farther away from the town.

Lupo gave him a curious glance. "Shoot," she spoke, her hand on her gun tightening as Darren lead her more to the right.

"You said you've been in love before… with the robot guy. What about now? I'm guessing robot guy isn't in the picture anymore, but I have a feeling when you hesitated it wasn't just him you were thinking about." The look in her eyes just before she began her story about her robot boyfriend had screamed of a different kind of love… something new that she had yet to define.

Lupo looked back at the GD security trailing behind them, obviously hesitant to speak about personal matters in front of the team she'd brought with her. Darren could understand her wish for privacy, but he suspected she wanted to talk about it just as much as he wanted to listen. He needed the distraction. "It's complicated," she finally spoke.

Darren smiled at her answer. Love always was. "Deputy, you either love him or you don't," he pushed.

Lupo frowned, clearing her throat as she looked back once again. "He and I… we haven't really figured out what it is. It's getting serious, but he's not exactly the settling type. I really don't know where we stand at this point," she admitted. Darren had been there many times before. It made sense that she wouldn't want to admit to something when she had no idea how he felt for her. To say it out loud was a giant step.

"What's his name?" he decided to ask, wondering if he knew the man.

"Zane," she answered.

Zane Donovan… he should have known. Almost everyone in GD seemed to be talking about the young scientist. He was a hot topic especially amongst the females who obviously found more than his brain stimulating. Darren had met him once or twice, worked with him a few times and knew first hand just how… charming he could be. The scientist enjoyed flirting, but Darren had always believed he was mostly talk. "Well, if it doesn't work out I can think of one guy on the rebound who'd just love to date a woman like you."

Lupo paused for a moment, staring at Darren in surprise. "Wait… aren't you supposed to be gay?" she asked, forging ahead once more, though her eyes were focused on him, as if he were some puzzle to figure out.

"Bisexual actually," he told her. "Ethan was the first real male relationship I was ever in." Most of his life he'd denied his interest in men, scared to be different. His friends back then hadn't exactly been fans of homosexuals, and Darren had always known his parents weren't too fond of the lifestyle either. When he'd moved on to college he'd left those fears behind, experimenting to see just where his interests lied. He didn't have any real boyfriends, but he'd certainly had enough sex and a few dates to tell him he wasn't just confined to one gender. When he'd met Ethan he'd fallen, and fallen hard. Ethan had a confidence about him that not many did, as if he knew he was a great catch and was proud of it. When Darren had moved to Eureka it had been Ethan that he'd been drawn to, the man who'd helped him adapt to the new life and eventually the man he'd begun a relationship with.

Lupo shook her head. "The first time I met you… I arrested you," she reminded him, looking almost confused by his interest.

Darren almost laughed if not for the reminder of what he was about to do. "You call it arrest, I call it foreplay," he joked. Lupo finally smiled at that. He paused when he spotted the bridge that ran over a small lake and knew they were close. His mood immediately darkened. "You think he'll ever forgive me for this?" he asked. He couldn't help his feelings. As much as he hated the man who'd so willingly hurt other people, he couldn't forget the man he'd spent years in a loving relationship with. He couldn't forget the man who he'd woken up next to, finding him already awake and drawing circles on his skin. The look of pity on Lupo's face said it all, and suddenly he felt his stomach flop. "Nevermind… stupid question," he muttered and headed for the bridge.

* * *

"What are you putting in him?" Nathan demanded as he stood over Jack, holding his hand as the other man lay unconscious on the bed. Stark had tensed immediately upon seeing Forrester preparing a needle with an unknown substance inside. He knew he was being protective, but he had every right to be. He didn't trust Ethan Forrester, and he never would.

"Relax Doctor Stark; this should slow down the nanoid's attack on his lungs. He'll be able to breathe on his own again," Ethan explained, injecting the substance into Jack's system. Nathan's grip on Jack's hand tightened as he watched the liquid go in. They'd finally made progress, realized how they felt about each other. Nathan wasn't ready to give up on Jack just yet. He didn't want to have to face Zoe knowing her father was dead and it was his fault. He couldn't have Jack's death on his conscious. "He doesn't have much longer. This may give him a day or so more. I can treat the cut on his head. It doesn't look too bad, but we'll do a scan just in case there was some internal damage. The nanoids are causing great damage on his kidneys. In a few days he may need to go on dialysis. He'll lose total kidney function. If we do not hurry, the damage will be permanent and there will be no chance… we won't be able to save him," Forrester told him calmly, as if he were talking about the weather. He wasn't talking about the weather though. He was talking about another man's life. Nathan didn't understand how he could be so calm about that.

"You could save him right now! Destroy the nanoids before they kill him! I give you my word I will help you finish this project." Nathan saw no other way out. He saw no other way of keeping Jack alive.

"I wish I could believe that, Nathan, but I can't. He remains as he is until the project is finished."

Nathan took a step over to Forrester, frustrated and angry. "Damn it Forrester! He may not last that long! You talk about trust?! How can I trust you to save his life when you're calmly killing Jack?! For all I know my fate is the same as Jack's! For all I know you could be planning to kill us both after you've gotten what you want!"

Ethan simply smiled, and Nathan felt a cold chill through his body at the sight of it. "The lab is down the hall. If you want to save the man you so obviously care for… then you will do as I say. You have no other choices Nathan."

* * *

Lucas didn't really know what to do. He'd never seen Zoe so upset. He wasn't good at comfort. He never knew the right things to say. Hell, he was still surprised that he could manage to even speak around Sheriff Carter with how nervous the man made him. It had taken them being paired for a project for Lucas to finally get up the nerve to even have a real conversation with Zoe. He'd watched her from afar for most of the year, watching her follow around Jasper as if he were some sort of saint while he was ignored. She hadn't even known he existed. In the end he'd gotten the girl, and he knew he was lucky as hell. Somehow she'd seen something in Lucas, had been willing to give him a chance, and she needed him now. She needed him to be a good boyfriend. She needed him to make her feel better; distract her from what was happening. He didn't know what to do.

When Pilar had called him in a panic he'd known Zoe's nightmares were getting worse. Sometimes the more powerful they became, the harder it was to gain back control once awake. He didn't have to deal with the same things she did. He never worried about his parent's safety. When his father was working on a dangerous project he rarely told Lucas about it, and often assured him that he'd never put his life in danger when he had a family to take care of. Lucas wasn't sure if he was lying or not, but the words had always made him feel better anyway. With Zoe it was different. Her father was in a situation that he might not return from, and she knew it. She knew he was in real danger and she had no idea how to handle it. Lucas needed to be strong. He needed to be there for her. All he'd known to do was gather her into his arms and hold her. It's what he always did when she worried about her Dad. He'd wrap an arm around her and tell her everything would be fine. Everything wasn't fine. He couldn't keep lying to her and telling her he'd be alright when he didn't know. He had his doubts. He was scared for the Sheriff, and although the man barely seemed to like him, Lucas did look up to Jack Carter. He wanted the Sheriff to be okay. He just wished he knew one way or another if he would be.

Zoe's mom was still days away, and that mean Zoe was on her own. Lucas and Pilar were all she had. He just wished he could do something. He wished there were some way to chase away the nightmares, give her something better. Lucas frowned, looking over at Pilar who sat before them, legs folded and hands in her lap. He could see the tears in her eyes. Maybe they could help. Maybe they just needed to give Zoe a better dream. Lucas kissed Zoe's forehead and leaned back against the bed, holding his girlfriend close. "Zoe… your Dad likes to play baseball… right?"

Pilar gave him a confused look, but he simply ignored her, focusing on Zoe. Zoe looked up at him and nodded, looking just as confused. "Uh yeah… he always has." Then he saw it… a faint smile. "You know he once destroyed his precious autographed world series bat just to save my life? He worshiped that bat! I even touched that bat and he'd be ready to ground me till I was fifty. Then he totally turns right around and bangs the hell out of it just to protect me." Zoe shook her head. "I used to complain that he loved the bat more than me, but… I guess I was wrong. He didn't even seem upset about it." She was crying, and Lucas just held her tighter.

Lucas smiled back down at her. "He really does love you," he whispered.

Zoe nodded. "I love him too… I just wish I told him more. There's a lot of stuff I wish I'd told him."

Pilar reached out, taking Zoe's hand in hers. "You'll get your chance, Zoe. I know it."

Zoe squeezed Pilar's hand, resting her head on Lucas' shoulder. They stayed like that for quite awhile, silently worrying about the Sheriff. Lucas just hoped they found him soon. He didn't want to see the town without Sheriff Carter protecting it. And he certainly didn't want to see Zoe without Sheriff Carter around… even if the man was only there to tell Lucas to stay three feet away from his daughter. One day Lucas planned on marrying Zoe Carter and he'd be damned if he was going to let her walk down the isle without her father to give her away. They needed to find the Sheriff, and they needed to find him fast.

* * *

"This is it," Darren whispered, looking down at the vault coming up out of the ground. It was a simple hatch, difficult not to miss under the cover of the brush. Lupo glanced down at the hatch, pushing away the bushes surrounding it and signaled to the guards to open the hatch.

"Is there anything we should look out for? Does he have anything protecting it… codes, weapons?" she asked Darren, holding her gun up as she watched the two GD officers pull open the hatch with loud screech of metal rubbing against metal.

Darren Milton shook his head. "He didn't have time for any of that. That's why he made sure to hide the hatch. I've only been there a few times. My guess is he has security down there protecting his project lab. He set up a dampening field around the bunker to make sure it couldn't be detected. The only way you'd find him is if I helped you, and he obviously never expected that I would." There was a sadness in Darren's voice, and Jo couldn't help feeling bad for him. He was obviously having a hard time with what he was doing, but was ignoring his doubts to save lives. Jo liked him, could see he was a good man who'd been betrayed by a person he'd thought truly loved him.

Jo cocked her weapon and pointed her flashlight down, spotting the bars coming from the sides of the small circular drop that led inside the bunker. She looked back at Darren. "You've been in there before… how many rooms?" she asked.

Darren paused for a moment. "No more than four. One is being used for a lab. The only almost looked like a make-shift infirmary. The last two were closed off rooms. I never saw inside either of them. I'm willing to bet if he's holding them anywhere… it'd be in those rooms," he answered.

Jo nodded, handing the GD officer beside her, her weapon and planted her hands on either side of the hatch, easing herself inside as she blindly searched for a place to rest her feet so she could climb down. Once her foot hit the metal bar she immediately was given back her weapon and slowly began the climb down. Darren followed next, followed by the rest under her command. The lighting got brighter and brighter as she descended till the flashlight was no longer needed, and she switched it off, dropping off the ladder to face the next hatch, a door. There was a combination lock on it and she immediately turned to Darren for assistance. "Do you have the combination?"

Milton nodded, focusing on the lock, rubbing his hands nervously before he pressed in the numbers. It was a four digit combination… 7-9-6-4. The door immediately opened, and Jo gave Darren a smile as she pointed her weapon at the opening, slipping deeper into the bunker. They found themselves in a rather large room. Ahead was a hallway that obviously led to the other rooms. Jo waited for the others to follow, keeping her eyes open for anyone who walked by. They were trying to use the element of surprise… it might be their only chance to save Carter and Stark. Jo crept down toward the hallway, peaking through to see armed guards stationed in the hallway right outside the large room she was in. They'd have to knock them both out. Jo took a deep breathe and looked at her men. She gestured what she'd seen to the men, ordering them into position and readied herself to use force. They wouldn't know what was coming. It'd been a long time since she'd gotten to do anything like what she was doing now… not since special forces. She couldn't help the smile on her face as she jumped out into the hallway and slammed the tail end of her weapon into the nearest guard.

* * *

Nathan wasn't quite sure what to expect when he'd heard the alarms go off and a guard rush into the room to speak with Forrester. Ethan immediately cursed, looking over at Nathan and Stark could see the fury in his eyes. Something was happening. "Stay here!" Forrester ordered and rushed out of the room, leaving two guards to stand watch over Nathan and Jack. Stark's grip on Jack tightened further as he stared down the guards. This might be his chance. He could hear a commotion going on outside the room. Perhaps there was a problem with the project. He didn't know… but he couldn't just ignore his last chance of escape. If he could get Jack back to Global it was possible they could save him. Slowly he bent down to look at Jack, letting his lips graze Jack's forehead before his hand slipped from Jack's and he turned toward the guards. He squeezed his hands into fists, hoping he wasn't making a mistake and immediately broke into a run, jumping head first into one of the guards. The man hadn't known what hit him.

Supplies flew everywhere as the guard was thrown against a table, knocked unconscious almost immediately, but before Nathan could do a thing he could feel someone grab him from behind, throwing him off the unconscious guard and to the ground. He'd had no time to prepare for the hard swung punch that connected with his jaw, and immediately grunted in pain. Next he felt a blow to his stomach and he groaned… eyes closed at the intense pain. Blindly he started swinging, hoping he could push the other guard off him. Eventually he made contact, and heard a grunt as the guard fell over beside him. Nathan was going on instinct by that moment. He'd been in fights before. Being a genius hadn't exactly made him the most popular kid in school, and his father had always emphasized the importance of defending ones self. All the skills he'd learned then were bubbling to the surface and he pictured Jack slowly dying in his mind, using it to fuel his anger as he swung his fist with all he had and knocked the other guard unconscious.

When he finally managed to open his eyes he could feel the throbbing in his fist, feel the headache from the guard now lying underneath him. He grunted in pain as he pulled himself up, one hand moving to his side. He'd probably broken a rib. He was by Carter's side moments later, immediately pulling the other man into his arms, swinging him over his shoulder despite the pain and turned toward the door just as it swung open and he was faced with the barrel of a very powerful weapon. He immediately froze, convinced he was going to die. "Doctor Stark?"

Nathan frowned, watching the weapon lower and let out a sigh of relief as he saw Deputy Jo Lupo's face. "Oh thank god! Carter's in trouble! We need to get him out of here… NOW!"

Lupo nodded immediately, turning towards the men standing beside her. "Here, give Carter to Jenkins! We'll get you both back to GD!"

Nathan shook his head. "I got him… let's just get out of here." He wasn't letting Jack go until he had to. All that mattered was they'd finally be rescued. He just hoped it wasn't too late….

To Be Continued


End file.
